Volo Pro Veritas
by Cal Boggs
Summary: Dusty embarks on a quest to save a childhood friend, but gets dragged into a journey that will find him facing new challenges, new foes, old faces, unexpected surprises, and will test his understanding of what Volo Pro Veritas truly means.
1. Chapter 1: Prologue

The courtroom had a very stuffy atmosphere to it, the entire room seeming to be on edge as the black Maserati took the floor and dominated everyone's attention. Simon Blackthorn paraded himself in front of the jury, perhaps trying to intimidate or impress them with his sleek, shark-like lines. His motor was fine-tuned and sounded as if it could rev out of the room and into a street race at any moment.

The galleries were packed with onlookers, as any trial that District Attorney Simon Blackthorn was prosecuting drew premium crowds. He was a genius for his age, and had never lost a single case since becoming a prosecutor. He had crushed every major defense attorney on his circuit, and was rapidly being labeled a "rising star" in the press.

It all was rather nauseating for one firefighting plane in the crowd however: Dusty Crophopper had finally managed to secure seats to one of Blackthorn's trials, and he stretched himself up a bit on his pontoons to try and see what was going on below him. The longer this trial lasted, the more upsetting and depressing it got for Dusty. The atmosphere was pressing down on him like a weight, threatening to break him worse than when he'd crashed at Piston Peak.

"So as you can clearly see, the evidence is decisive and I think I've all but proven the defendant's guilt!" Blackthorn stated, his smug British accent resonating throughout the walls of the courtroom.

"But I didn't do it! I already told you where I was at the time of the crime!" The defendant, a blue pickup truck, protested.

"And my evidence has proven otherwise! Mr. Wheelson, you were CLEARLY at the scene of the crime at the time in question!" Blackthorn slammed his tire to the floor for emphasis with a sickening thud, and everyone winced visibly, including Dusty, who felt his stomach drop. "We have photographic evidence from the security camera! Irrefutable, and ergo, you were there!"

"I did show up but it wasn't to kill him! Look man, I gotta family… please!" the pickup truck pleaded, eyes desperate as he searched Blackthorn for answers and hope. "I didn't do this!"

"Then you should've thought about your family before committing murder!" Blackthorn shouted at him. "I have no sympathy for criminals or their stories. You're going to the scrap yard, Mr. Wheelson, make no mistake!" Dusty cringed at this. He doesn't even care about their stories… or who they are… he doesn't care about anything aside from getting his conviction…

It was rough for the firefighter to have to sit through this. This just… was nothing like the Blackthorn he remembered. What had happened to him? What had changed him so dramatically?

"Your honor! Ladies and gentlecars of the jury! Mr. Wheelson was captured on camera at the scene of the crime! I've established motive, method of murder, and placed the defendant at the scene. The only thing left from you now… is a guilty verdict." Blackthorn told the jury, looking them over now. "Send this truck to the scrap yard so that he may NEVER kill again! I rest my case!" With a triumphal roar of his engine, Blackthorn drove back to the prosecutor's bench now, causing Dusty's eyes to close. He already knew the outcome of this trial as he listened to Wheelson break down and start sobbing. There was no reaction whatsoever from Blackthorn… Dusty studied him closely for the next several moments, but no sign he even cared crossed his features.

It didn't take the jury long to deliberate. In a mere 35 minutes they were back, and pronounced Wheelson guilty. While most seemed to be impressed with yet another Blackthorn win, one of the few in the audience to be absolutely crushed by the result was Dusty Crophopper.

Wheeling himself out to the lobby, he could see Blackthorn surrounded by a crowd of well-wishers and admirers, as if he was superstar. Frowning, the firefighter thought about approaching his old friend, but something held him back. No… this wasn't the way. Outright accusing Blackthorn of changing would get him nowhere… he'd need to get closer to observe him head on if he was going to help him, and figure him out. Just how he was going to do this he wasn't yet sure… but come what may, he was going to find a way to reach out to his friend and help him.

The only real way to do that would be to somehow get into a trial though… and how exactly he was going to do that he needed to figure out… but he'd wait… he had time. He would show Blackthorn the true meaning of the motto he now lived by. No matter what… he would help his friend… and not give up until he got a result. He wouldn't give up on Blackthorn… just like Blackthorn hadn't given up on him so many years ago…


	2. Chapter 2: The Setup

Dusty flew leisurely over Propwash Junction, banking as he began lining himself up for a landing. "Propwash Tower this is Crophopper Seven, requesting clearance to land." The red plane radioed in.

"Crophopper Seven we see you, permission to land granted." Was the tower's response.

He needed to get on the ground as soon as possible. His trip out to LA hadn't exactly been what he'd hoped for, and he needed to clear his head. All during the flight to Propwash Junction, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about how much Simon Blackthorn had changed; it was extremely disturbing to him. His mind began flashing back many years now… back to the classroom… and the day Dusty's life had forever changed…

But as his mind wandered, he suddenly heard Skipper's voice intruding into his daydream. "Dusty what are you doing? You're coming in too fast! Watch your speed! Watch your speed!" the old Corsair yelled, and Dusty blinked, suddenly realizing what he was doing.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, extending his flaps quickly to try and slow himself down. Even so he hit the runway hard, his tires squealing as he applied his brakes and struggled to stop. Gasping as he began to skid, he forced his flaps all the way down as an all too familiar situation began to unfold. "Not again!" he exclaimed through gritted teeth, noting he was sliding right for the Fill 'N Fly.

With a terrible screech, the firefighter came to a stop mere inches from the fuel pumps. Exhaling heavily, Dusty closed his eyes and tried to relax. "Dusty! Dusty! Are you all right? What happened?" Skipper asked hurriedly, moving up to him rapidly now. "You looked like you were distracted or something! Did you get an attack of vertigo or something?" the old fighter inquired with concern.

"I just… sorry Skip. It was a stupid mistake… I was distracted. Thinking about other things. I shouldn't have let it happen!" Dusty insisted.

"Jeez! I thought you had blacked out or something! Are you OK?" Skipper asked.

"Yeah… yeah I'm fine, sorry. I just… let my mind wander." Dusty confessed.

"How'd your trip to LA go? Did you find Blackthorn?" Skipper asked, being the only one here who knew about him besides Dusty now.

"Yes… yes I did…" Dusty replied slowly, beginning to move towards Skipper's hanger with the Corsair now.

"Dusty!" the shout came from a green Range Rover who was barreling towards him. "Are you all right? You nearly crashed! What happened?" Miles Axlerod pulled up alongside the firefighter with a look of worry in his eyes.

"Oh, hey Miles. It was just… me being stupid in all honesty. My mind was elsewhere and I wasn't paying attention to my landing." He explained.

"Oh! Well you looked like you were headed for trouble!" Miles replied. Axlerod was serving a five-year probation here in Propwash Junction as part of his community service as mandated by the British court who had resentenced him. "You want anything? A cup of oil perhaps?" the Range Rover asked here. "Maybe a beer from Honkers? I still don't think your American brews are as good as our British taps though!"

"No… thanks though, Miles." Dusty smiled over at him. "Can you give me a minute with Skipper here?" Dusty asked.

"Certainly! "Oh! That racer you mentioned to me you had a crush on… Ishani was it?"

"Uh… yeah… that's her." Dusty confirmed.

"Great! See you soon then!" Honking, Axlerod drove off and Dusty was left alone with Skipper.

"So… what's on your mind that has you so distracted?" the Corsair asked.

"Well Skip… I found Blackthorn and sat in on one of his trials." Dusty began as they reached the hanger.

"And?" Skipper asked curiously.

"And… well he's… he's changed dramatically. I mean… granted I haven't seen him in years but… he's just… it's like he's a different car entirely! I don't even recognize him anymore!" Dusty stated emphatically.

"Just who is this Simon Blackthorn anyway, and why's he so important?" Skipper asked, wheeling around to face Dusty here.

"He's not just anyone, Skip! He's the reason I'm mostly the way I am today! I mean granted, I kind of needed Blade Ranger to help remind me of a few things, but Simon Blackthorn is why I believe in helping others and trying to be as nice to everyone as I can! Remember when I saved Bulldog's life in Germany? THAT was because of Blackthorn! I believe in giving EVERYONE the benefit of the doubt, no matter who they are, because of Blackthorn! He did something for me a long time ago that stayed with me for years and years… and I've never… I've never forgotten it." Dusty stated here, looking off into the distance.

Skipper's mouth fell open a bit here as Dusty described the Maserati. "Really?" he asked softly here. "Wow… sounds like this fellow's really had an impact on you. I never even knew…" he murmured.

"Yes and to see him the way he is now… to see him acting so heartless and callous it's just… it's just upsetting me, that's all." Dusty said, his voice wavering here as he thought back to the trial. "It's like he's betraying EVERYTHING I believed in back when I knew him. Why? Why is he doing it?" Dusty asked.

"I uh… can't answer that one there, Dusty, but… what exactly did he do to inspire you so?" Skipper added now.

"Well… back when I was growing up…" Dusty began, but suddenly, a rocket-fast Chug came screeching up to the hanger now, applying his brakes at the last minute.

"Dustmeister! Have you seen the latest episode of Riptide yet? It was AWESOME!" the fuel truck exclaimed, grinning from mirror to mirror as he stared at Dusty here.

Sighing, Dusty turned around. "Oh… no actually I haven't, Chug. Hey isn't that Ripslinger's new show?" he asked.

"You bet it is! Chronicling his race around the world as he battles the evil super speedster, Crusty Windchaser!" Chug declared.

"Crusty Windchaser? Gee I wonder where they got that from. Pfft, yeah, OK. His FAKE race around the world, Chug." Dusty rolled his eyes here. "He's not even allowed into the Wings Around the Globe Rally anymore thanks to what he did to me last year! TV shows are ALL he's got now! Some big champion he is!" Dusty scoffed.

"But it's still cool! He's so awesome as he suits up to battle Windchaser in a fight to the finish! They just reached Nepal this week!" Chug countered.

"Battle?" Dusty raised a brow here. "Uhhh… since when do we have combat in the Wings Around the Globe Rally?"

"It's set in the future! It takes place during a dystopian era where only racers have survived and they have to battle each other for the win! You really should check it out!" Chug suggested enthusiastically.

"Uhhh… sounds… wild there Chug." Dusty responded skeptically. "I mean yeah… just can't wait to check out a show where racers kill each other." Dusty responded rather unenthusiastically.

"Oh no one's died yet!" Chug cut in. "It's actually more of kids' show!" he explained.

"A… kids' show? Pfft haha!" Dusty couldn't help himself here as he broke out into laughter. "Ripslinger's starring in a kids' show? Wow! Didn't see that one coming!" he guffawed here as he thought about it.

"But it's really cool!" Chug reiterated for the millionth time. "You really should check it out!"

"You know what? Maybe I will. You can't put a price on seeing your former rival starring in a kids' show, can you?" Dusty asked, still chuckling.

"Exactly!" Chug agreed, though it was clear he didn't fully understand. "Oh and uh… Dottie wants you over at her garage immediately! She wants to make sure you're OK after accidentally almost blowing up the Fill 'N Fly a second time."

"Oh… she does?" Dusty asked here, cringing. "Uh… tell her I'll be right over. I might need some tire replacements actually since… I came in pretty hard on that landing." He admitted. Turning to look at Skipper now, Dusty gave him an apologetic look. "Catch up with you later?" he asked.

"Anytime Dusty." Skipper nodded in understanding. "Just take care of yourself, OK?"

"Will do, Skip! See you soon!" Heading out of the hanger now after Chug, Dusty was bombarded with a litany of reasons of why he should watch Riptide from the obviously very excited fan-truck Chug.

* * *

Deep in the recesses of Global Studios, the sounds of metal striking on metal could be heard coming from one of the studio buildings. Inside, engines were revved to the max as Ripslinger flashed through the air, charging towards his opponent with a metal rod affixed to his wing, almost like a jousting lance. He maneuvered it to slam into the rod his opponent was sporting. As they were specially designed for sparring, neither would do much damage except perhaps scratch some paint off the two of them.

Rip's opponent was hi co-star on Riptide, Jack Rotor, otherwise known to the fans as Crusty Windchaser. He was a Mustang like Rip, but was painted orange and white, similar to Dusty's color scheme. Their rods collided, with Rip backing off and continuing his circle on the ground of the training ring. The two stars tended to do this every day to keep their reflexes up, and work on their timing and speed.

Outside the ring, Dee Tyresworth, the female head producer of the show, watched with narrowed eyes. Cold, calculating, and inscrutable, she was a brown luxury Lexus SUV and was known as a bit of a "diva" in TV production circles. "Slow!" she said commandingly. "Do it again! We're trying to impress our audiences, not put them to sleep!" she chided.

Growling, Rip charged in again, clanging his training rod against Rotor's, causing the two of them to spin and come to blows once more. "Better!" Tyresworth shouted. The two began exchanging a series of thrusts, parries, and strikes as they circled around and around and around, looking like a whirling tornado as they performed their exercises. Blow after blow was dealt, the sounds of clanging ringing out like bells as the two stars struck and blocked and danced around each other.

Suddenly, Jack shot forward, gaining too much momentum on his next charge, which caused him to crash heavily into Ripslinger's side, throwing the green Mustang back and bending his right landing gear slightly as he cried out. "Agh! Jeez, Jack! What are you trying to do, kill me?"

"Sorry!" Jack immediately apologized. "Oh jeez! Sorry, Rip! You OK?"

"I'll live…" Rip grumbled, testing his wheel. "Agh! Great… gonna need to get this fixed."

"Ah burned out engine! I'm sorry, Rip!" Jack apologized again, powering down his engine as he guiltily gave his co-star a regretful look.

"Yeah, yeah. Hey! Tyresworth! Get the mechanic!" Rip demanded.

Dee didn't budge. "It's the weekend. He's gone home. You're gonna have to get that fixed yourself." She responded.

"What?" Rip asked in disbelief. "Ah great!" Rip killed his own engine as well, watching as the contra-rotating propellers slowed and then stopped.

"Let's take a break." Dee suggested. "I think that's enough for now."

Sighing, Jack rolled over to his assistant who unclipped the training rod from his wing. Rip did the same, though he more had to hobble over to his own assistant. Rip hated everything about this job. It was demeaning, boring, and completely below him. But without any other real alternatives, it was all he could get. "I'm gonna take a nap." Rip uttered. "You know I can't even fly now thanks to this injury! Can't retract my landing gear!"

"Sorry again!" Jack called over.

"Hey Tyresworth! Does my insurance cover this?" Rip asked.

"It should." Dee responded simply, driving off now as she began to exit the studio.

"It better…" Rip muttered, beginning to hop with his right side towards his hanger.

Watching him go, Jack Rotor sighed a second time, looking down at the now empty ring. He'd put up with this long enough… he COULN'T do this anymore! He was at his wits' end… he needed to take control of the situation. He'd feel bad doing it but… he felt at this point that he had no other choice. It was now or never.

Rolling forward, he adopted a determined look as he knew exactly how he was going to pull this off… but unfortunately for him, fate had a different play for him today… one that would have a tragic ending…

* * *

Several hours later, Rip was hobbling back to the studio, wondering what the big fuss was about. He'd heard noises earlier, so as he made his way over and rounded the corner, he came to a halt as his oil froze in his engine. His eyes widened as he saw ambulances, police cars, and several onlookers who were standing around a sight that chilled Rip's gasoline.

In the middle of the training ring, lying on his back with his wings splayed out to either side of him, Jack Rotor lay impaled with the ornate spear Rip used in the show. It had been driven straight through his bottom and into his head, a surely fatal wound. "What the…? Jack?" Rip asked, moving forward as best he could here.

Turning around, several police cars headed over, their sirens blaring. "Ripslinger! You are under arrest for the murder of Jack Rotor! You have the right to remain silent! If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law! You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you…"

"What? This is crazy! I didn't do this!" Rip insisted as he began to back away, but already the police cars had surrounded him. "I didn't do this!" But it was too late. Police had already made their determination based on the evidence, and it was announced shortly afterwards that District Attorney Simon Blackthorn would be prosecuting the case.


	3. Chapter 3: Investigation

The morning dawned beautifully over Propwash Junction, the sun throwing splashes of dappled light over the tanned rocks and the greens all around them. Dusty gazed upon it with a happy sigh, loving the fact that he lived out here in the middle of what he considered paradise. Dottie had replaced his tires to be on the safe side last night, and he felt better after having gotten a good night's sleep.

Looking out over the sunrise, Dusty was getting ready for his morning flight when Chug approached him, practically sobbing. "Uh… Chug? What's the matter?" Dusty asked, noting with some concern how upset his friend seemed.

"It's TERRIBLE! Riptide has been put on indefinite hiatus! But they can't cancel it now! It's sooo gooood!" he wailed.

"Oh… Ripslinger's new show? It got put on hiatus? Why? Low reviews?" Dusty joked.

"No! It's just terrible! Rip… Rip killed Crusty Windchaser!" Chug cried. "He impaled him with his Super Sonic Spear!"

"Uh… wait… his Super Sonic Spear? So they killed Crusty off in the show?" Dusty asked, a bit disappointed his clearly ripped off inspiration was dead.

"No! Rip killed him in real life!" Chug implored.

"Wait… WHAT? In real life?" Dusty asked now, in shock over this.

"It's all over the neeeeeews!" Chug sobbed, burrowing his front against Dusty's pontoon now.

"WHAT? Ripslinger KILLED someone?" Dusty could hardly believe this, but in a way... it made sense too. "I… I gotta see this!" He backed away from Chug now, and headed over to the Fill 'N Fly, where Dottie's TVs were all abuzz with the news.

"If you're just joining us, we regret to announce that tragedy has struck in Hollywood yesterday. Jack Rotor, co-star of the popular children's show 'Riptide', has been found murdered at Global Studios. The accused is the star of the show, former air racing legend, Ripslinger." Peering up at the TV, Dusty could see Rip's face plastered on the TV now, the same smug look on his face Dusty was so used to seeing. "While the authorities have not yet established a motive for the slaying, Global Studios is in shock, saying this could indefinitely delay production on the show based on the outcome of this trial."

"Oh my gosh!" Dusty gasped, slotting in behind Skipper and Axlerod, as it seemed all of Propwash Junction had turned out to watch the headlines.

"Hey Dusty…" Skipper said softly, turning around slightly to greet him.

"I don't believe this… Ripslinger's been accused of murder?" Dusty asked incredulously as he continued watching the TV.

"Ripslinger, former leader of racing Team RPX, is expected to stand trial in a matter of days. Perhaps what may seal the deal in regards this case though, is that District Attorney Simon Blackthorn has announced he will be prosecuting this case, which seems to all but ensure that the former actor's fate is sealed."

"Blackthorn!" Dusty gasped as the black Maserati suddenly appeared on the screen now, in front of numerous reporters.

"Well what can I say, aside from this vile criminal WILL be sentenced to death for his crime! I, Simon Blackthorn, personally guarantee it, as I guarantee ALL my cases! I will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt this plane's guilt, and that he doesn't deserve to fly our skies or ride our streets! His character is already well known to those familiar with the Wings Around the Globe Rally… it's time to put him away for good and end his reckless and immoral behavior!" Blackthorn stated, giving a smirk to the cameras now as they flashed away and the microphones closed in on him like weeds.

"I… I don't believe this…" Dusty began backing up now, as if a giant hammer had slammed into him and winded him. "Bl-Blackthorn… and Rip…"

"Dusty?" Skipper asked, turning around now.

Dusty was glancing back and forth over the ground, sweeping his eyes from left to right and back again rapidly, as if thinking about something. "This… this could be my chance!" he said suddenly.

"Chance to do what?" Skipper asked.

"To confront Blackthorn… and beat him at his own game!" Dusty declared now.

"You're gonna do what?" Skipper asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm gonna help Ripslinger prove his innocence!" Dusty stated here with determination.

"What? Dusty have you lost your mind?" Skipper asked, brows raised in shock. "This is RIPSLINGER we're talking about here! He nearly killed you last year!"

"Yeah but… something about this… it just doesn't seem right. Why would Rip blow the only thing he has left? It doesn't make any sense… Rip may be dirty and a cheater but… how long has this show been running for?" he asked now.

"It's on its 17th episode! Only seven more to go before the season one finale!" Chug sobbed again.

" 17 episodes! See that's… almost a whole season! Which means two-thirds of a year! Why would Rip just throw that away? No… something's wrong." Dusty said now.

"Dusty it's Ripslinger! Nothing's right when it comes to him!" Skipper reminded Dusty.

"Maybe but… I dunno. Remember what I told you yesterday? I'm willing to give ANYONE the benefit of the doubt? Anyone! And that's something I learned from Blackthorn!" By now, almost everyone had turned to look at Dusty here.

"Great role model…" Dottie murmured.

"No! I… you don't understand what it was like back then! Blackthorn's different now… but I've never given up on his ideals! If no one else is going to help Rip, then it may as well be me!"

"Uhh Dusty look… I've never doubted you, but are you SURE you're feeling OK? Do you have a fever? Do you feel sick?" Skipper asked, trying to raise his wing to bring it on top of Dusty's head now.

"No! I feel fine!" the firefighter insisted. "Look Skip… you told me your motto was volo pro veritas. Fly for truth. I HAVE to do this Skip! What if Rip's innocent? You know Blackthorn's record! It's perfect! He's never lost a case, meaning Rip's as good as dead anyway! What have I got to lose? Huh? If I DON'T do this… I'm NEVER gonna get an answer to why Blackthorn changed! I NEED to do this Skip! It's the only way!"

"Dusty… volo pro veritas doesn't mean…" Skipper began, but Dusty cut him off.

"I know what it means, Skip! I have to find the truth! Not just Blackthorn's truth, but Rip's truth as well!" Dusty insisted.

"And… what if he IS guilty?" Skipper asked hesitantly.

"Then… I'll back off and let Blackthorn have him. But NOT until I'm certain!" Dusty said adamantly. "The worst I'll do is make a fool of myself defending a murderer. But I have to try. It's the only way I'm going to understand him… and why he does what he does. It's the only way I can get close to him right now. Seeing me is the last thing he'll expect, and it might even throw him off." Dusty explained. "If I could JUST reach him… reach the Blackthorn that I KNOW is still in there… somewhere… I could save him… just like he saved me…" Dusty's voice was soft, his eyes lowering to the ground.

"Well…" Skipper softened here. "All right… I believe in you, Dusty. Volo pro veritas." He said here.

"Volo pro veritas, Skip." Dusty replied with determination, his features hardening as he got his "game face" on.

"You still amaze me, Dusty. Every time I think I got you all figured out… you're turning around and doing something else. You're a bigger plane than I am, Dusty. I wouldn't help that sorry bag of dirt, that's for sure!" Skipper said here.

"Well… I admit it's partly to help myself but… it's just not in my nature I guess. If I could SHOW Blackthorn what he showed me so many years ago… then maybe… just maybe I can reach him, got it?" the firefighter asked here.

"Yeah… I understand." Skipper said softly here.

"I'll show him the meaning of flying for truth!" Dusty declared.

"So you will." Skipper cracked a smile here. "I'm so proud of you, Dusty." Skipper beamed here, sniffing as a fatherly look of pride crossed his features.

"Not half as proud as I am to have been mentored by you. Well then! I guess I'd better get off to LA! That is… if… Mayday's willing to give me a few more days off. Sorry, Mayday." Dusty said apologetically as he looked over at the newly refurbished fire truck.

"Think nothing of it, Dusty! Fall brings rain after all, so I'm not too concerned about fires breaking out." Mayday replied. "You work every day after all, so I can give you some time every now and then."

"I will RACE back here if there is one. You just give me a call and I'll come roaring back."

"This sounds like something you gotta take care of on your own, Dusty. Good luck!" Mayday wished. "I don't mind."

"Yeah… stay in radio contact, OK?" Skipper asked.

"Always, Skip." Dusty smiled at him. "Oh! And I still need to see you in a hula skirt!" he joked, causing everyone to start clamoring over this now.

Skipper narrowed his eyes at his mentee, looking as if he was about to smack him with his wing, but then let a smile break out on his fuselage. "Heh… that's something you may NEVER see."

"Never say never, though!" Dusty said simply, winking as he turned to head out to the runway.

"Oh you're leaving again are you? Well that's too bad!" Axlerod exclaimed. "I guess I'll have to wait on my plan, in that case!"

"What plan?" Dusty asked.

"You'll see! But anyway, best of luck to you, Duster! Looking forward to your return!" Axlerod stated here.

"Thanks, Miles. Anyway, I'd better get going if I'm gonna see Rip in time! Wish me luck!" The outpourings of "good luck" were almost unanimous, as was to be expected.

Starting up his motor, Dusty taxied for takeoff now, giving one last look to his community before he throttled up and took off, wheeling west for Los Angeles and his former rival…

* * *

The detention center was a place Dusty hoped he'd never see again. It was depressing and seemed to close in around him, as if he himself were behind bars and not the criminals. But he wasn't, fortunately, yet all the same, he wanted to get out of here as quickly as he could. He almost felt sorry for Rip, having to spend his nights in a place like this.

Rolling up to the visitor's window now, he caught his first glimpse of Ripslinger in over a year. The green and black Mustang was behind the bulletproof glass, and seemed mortified to learn that his visitor was none other than Dusty Crophopper. "What? YOU?" Rip asked in disbelief. "What are you doing here, farm boy?"

"Heh… yeah… nice to see you too Rip!" Dusty replied, holding his nose high a bit here as he stopped in front of the glass and turned to face his former rival.

"Get outta here! I don't want no stinkin' hayseed visiting me!" Rip snapped.

"Pfft… charming as ever, I see." Dusty responded. "Look… I'm here to help."

"You… here to help ME? I'm Ripslinger, pal! What could a crop duster possibly do for me?" Rip sneered.

"Uhhh… I also won the Wings Around the Globe Rally, AND I'm a certified firefighter now." Dusty pointed out.

"Good for you! Here's me caring!" Rip gave him a deadpan expression here that said "get the hell out of my space."

Sighing, Dusty rolled his eyes. "Yeah… I see how you've been spending YOUR time since your big loss."

"WHAT?" Rip roared, eyes blazing as he looked like he wanted to punch through the glass to get to Dusty.

"Crusty Windchaser… yeah… I REALLY appreciated that one, Rip. It was cute, you know? So instead of confronting me, you parody me in a kids' show? That's real mature of you." Dusty stated, noting that Rip was still sneering.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Crophopper. Crusty Windchaser is a fictional character on a TV show… like you said."

"Yeah… whose actor is now dead, which is why you're behind bars right now, and not me. So… let's start with what happened." Dusty replied.

"And why would I tell YOU anything?" Rip asked.

"Because… you're being prosecuted by the best prosecutor in the country, and you're going to lose?" Dusty tried.

"Hmph! Yeah what else is new? And you think you can help me?" Rip asked skeptically.

"I'm going to try…" Dusty said plainly. "Which is more than you're getting right now."

"I got a lawyer!" Rip pointed out.

"Yeah… one who's already lost twice to Blackthorn. Things are looking up, aren't they?" Dusty asked here innocently but sarcastically at the same time.

Rip twitched, baring his teeth as his propellers jolted a bit.

"Look… I'm gonna look into this case… gather what evidence I can… and see if I can help you. I'm gonna check out Global Studios but I need your help. What happened yesterday?" Dusty tried again. "Humor me."

"Hey wait… why are you red and not that stupid orange?" Rip asked.

"Because I'm a firefighter… I already said that. Now… what happened?" Dusty persisted, starting to lose his patience.

"Heh… humor you, eh? Fine. We were running through exercises, I took a nap, and when I woke up, Jack was dead, happy?" Rip asked.

"Details." Dusty enunciated.

"Ugh! Fine! I was sparring with Jack, running around in circles so to speak, trying to hit him while he tried to hit me. He accidentally crashed into me, he messed up my right landing gear, see?" Rip showed him his bent wheel. "After that, our producer called it a day, I went to go eat lunch and take a nap in my hanger, and when I woke up, Jack was lying in the training ring with the spear I use on the show shoved through his freakin' body, all right?"

"And the police were already there?"

"Yeah they arrested me." Rip replied, as if it were no big deal.

"You don't sound worried." Dusty noted. "Or concerned that your co-star is dead."

"I've been through worse." Rip replied nonchalantly.

"Really?" Dusty asked skeptically. "I doubt that. Well anyway, thanks for sharing. Can you perhaps write me a letter of like… recommendation so I can enter Global Studios and shamelessly snoop around?" Dusty asked here, hoping the humor would at least cause Rip to not see him in such a negative light.

"A letter?" Rip asked.

"Yeah! You know… saying I'm your official investigator and all that! So I can bypass security and see what's what." Dusty explained.

"Bypass security… huh. Fine… I guess I can do that. I still say you're wasting your time, Crophopper. Caught in the riptide, as it were!" Rip threw out his catchphrase here.

"Uh huh… anyway, just give me the letter, and I'll look around the studios, OK?" Dusty asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll send it to the front desk or something. I'll tell 'em to let the stupid hayseed look around the studios, sound good?"

Dusty narrowed his eyes here. "Rip… I'd REALLY appreciate it if you would lay off the abuse, OK? I'm helping you here! Tell them to let the FIREFIGHTER look around the studios, got it? That's F-I-R-E-F-I-G-H-" he started spelling it out for Rip.

"Yeah, yeah! I can spell, genius! I'll tell them to let the FIREFIGTHER…" Rip said the word with mocking disdain "look around the studios. Anyway, latter, farm boy." Rip said dismissively.

"Heh… latter… Rip." Dusty said, shaking his head as he moved out of the interview room now and began heading for the exit of the detention center.

* * *

Rolling up to the gates of Global Studios, Dusty gazed into the area with trepidation. Out front, an older security guard was standing watch. "Uh… hi!" he said, rolling up to her now.

"What do you want?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Um… I'm representing Ripslinger in his upcoming trial, and he gave me permission to enter the studios on his behalf and…"

"Ripslinger?" she asked here. "That murderer! He killed my Jack Rotor!" she exclaimed, practically turning on the waterworks as her eyes welled up.

"Uh… yes… well that hasn't been proven yet…"

"But I saw him! I saw him heading towards Studio One, where we found Jack's body! He was heading down the path from the employee area! He LEFT his hanger and headed for Studio One!" she snapped.

"What?" Dusty asked, feeling his heart sink at this. "But… are you SURE it was him?" Had Rip lied to him this entire time about sleeping?

"Positive! I'd know him anywhere with that disgusting green and black paint job he's got! He was jealous of poor Jack, I know that!"

"Uhhh maybe… anyway, can I take a look around?" he asked, presenting his letter to her now.

Snatching it away from him, she read it with beady eyes. "Hmmm… I suppose… but I'm not letting you into the employee area! The police say no one goes in there till they finish their investigation!" she snapped, handing the letter back. "As you can see, I have a perfect view of the path down to Studio One. That's where I saw that nasty Ripslinger!"

"Huh…" Dusty could clearly see the path from the gate. What did this mean? Had she really seen Rip heading towards the murder scene? If so…

He noticed a map of the studios plastered on the wall of the guard booth, and turned to examine it. OK so… the employee area was to his left… and to his right were Studios Two and One. One was where the body had been found… but Dusty briefly wondered about Two. If anyone was at Studio Two, they could be witnesses… or murderers.

The gate was lifted up, and he headed on in. The studio was nice enough, with trees lining the paths, and gravel crunching under his wheels as he rolled along. He found he rather liked the climate here: sure it was a little hot, but as it was fall, it was actually kind of nice. It was almost as if he were on the driveway of some rich car in the Hollywood hills, it was that secluded and peaceful. As he drove down the path, he noticed a camera a bit further down from the guard booth… had it taken any pictures of Rip heading towards the crime scene? Dusty knew this could be decisive evidence, remembering how important a photograph had been in Blackthorn's last case. If the security guard was telling the truth about what she had seen… then this could either make or break the case.

He could see Studio One up ahead, and to his left, as the path split into two, he figured that was the way to Studio Two. As he saw the milling police cars, he was glad he wasn't painted in his usual orange and white: he didn't want to be mistaken for a fan of Crusty Windchaser, after all. He could only imagine the reaction he'd be getting from fans of Rip if they saw him rolling down the path.

"Hey! What are you doin' here, pal?" An unmarked black Ford Crown Victoria turned and drove up to him, and Dusty figured this was probably a detective working the case.

"Oh! Hey there! Dusty Crophopper!" he introduced himself. "I'm here on behalf of the accused, Ripslinger! I'm looking into his case and seeing what I can find." Dusty produced Rip's letter now, and the detective scanned it over, narrowing his eyes.

"You look like a firefighter." He commented.

"Yep! That's me! But I'm part of the defense's team, so you gotta grant me access to the crime scene! Don't worry, I read up on the rules before I came here!" he assured the detective.

"Hmph… I see." The detective looked Dusty over now.

"And who might you be?" Dusty asked.

"Detective Crawford… I work VERY closely with Mr. Blackthorn, got it? He and I have developed a strong working relationship, you might say. I get his evidence, he gets the convictions. So you'd better know what to touch and not touch in there!" Crawford warned.

"Oh you do, do you?" Dusty asked, finding this interesting that the detective was basically Blackthorn's car on the "front lines" so to speak. "Fascinating! So let me ask: what time did the murder occur at?"

"Coroner placed time of death at 2:30 PM. The accused and the victim were practicing here until 1:00 with the show's producer, then both actors went off to lunch. The accused claims he then took a nap… but we've got decisive evidence that proves otherwise!" Dusty felt himself sinking a bit as Crawford mentioned decisive evidence… was it the photo he suspected existed?

"Oh yeah? What decisive evidence?" Dusty asked here.

"Ha! Yeah right! Nice try, buddy! The prosecution's already got their hands on it, and that won't be revealed till the trial, tomorrow!" Crawford retorted.

Well… at least he tried. If it was what he thought it was… he had to find a way to get that security guard away from her booth… that way, he could gain access to her computer. Of course… that might not be the most legal of moves but… he was really curious now to see if his suspicions were correct. "Fair enough. So… you mentioned the show's producer was also present? Why aren't they a suspect?"

"She and everyone else aside from the victim and the accused went to Studio Two for lunch and to review a new script. However, a small earthquake knocked over the studio's mascot onto the path, trapping everyone at Studio Two there until 4:00 PM, when the mascot was finally moved. So there was no way any of them could've murdered Mr. Rotor. They all have alibis." Crawford explained.

"I see… huh… certainly does rule them out then. And what time was the victim discovered?" Dusty asked now.

"A little after 4:00 PM, when everyone from Studio Two came back over to Studio One. The accused showed up around 4:45, well after the discovery of the victim's body." Dusty interrupted here though, catching something that sounded odd.

"So… Ripslinger was asleep for more than three hours? That's… kind of a long nap." Dusty pointed out.

"Yeah except he wasn't sleeping." Crawford responded. "We can prove that."

This was starting to sound worse and worse for Rip. "Any possible motive for Ripslinger wanting to kill his co-star?" Dusty tried now.

"Not yet…" Crawford confessed. "We… haven't really been able to establish a firm motive. But we'll get one. With the evidence we have, it seems fairly cut and dry."

"Uh huh…" Dusty replied, not liking the sound of things so far. "Well… thanks for the info, Detective Crawford! Do you mind if I look at the employee area, where Ripslinger claimed he was asleep?"

"When we're done sweeping it, sure. Keep in mind, we're removing anything we think could be evidence, so there might not be anything for you there." Crawford warned.

"That's perfectly fine!" Dusty wasn't expecting to get much from there anyway, but he figured every small detail could be important, even if the police thought it not so. After all, if Rip truly was innocent, then the truth would have to emerge somehow… reality was no match for a cover-up in his eyes. Even the most carefully concealed crime could reveal traces of the truth… of course, maybe he'd just seen too many TV shows, and he was being hopeful but still… he believed in truth, and how it could come to the surface. "Well I think that about covers all the questions I had, Detective Crawford, so thanks for your help!"

"Sure! I don't see the harm after all… no defense attorney has ever beaten Mr. Blackthorn, and you're gonna be no different." Crawford confidently stated.

"Well good thing I'm not a defense attorney." Dusty pointed out here. "Anyway, I'm gonna look around, so I'll see you later!" He moved past the Ford, and into the studio. Jack Rotor's hydraulic fluids were spilled all over the floor here, but oddly enough, Dusty thought they looked a little on the lean side. Of course, he wasn't an expert in how much hydraulic fluid from a dead plane should be leaking out, and maybe once again the TV shows tended to exaggerate this, but he thought there'd be more.

While Jack was of course not here, the big spear that had impaled him was. Flinching as he looked it over, Dusty noticed it would leave a nasty wound in anyone on the business of it. It certainly looked "super sonic" though, as the set designers had done a great job on it. There didn't seem to be anything else here worth noting, so he decided to head on over to the employee area, figuring he'd leave Studio Two alone for now, given it was cut off from the rest of the area thanks to the mascot having fallen over.

However, he didn't bypass it entirely, and decided to run a cursory check first, heading down the path a bit to see what the studio looked like. It was down a ways, hidden amongst the trees, and Dusty could see that with the path blocked, there'd be no way for anyone to leave this area to head to Studio One. Unless you had a V-plow on the front of you, you'd be pretty much stuck here back in the woods, and the trees were too thick for a vehicle to pass through, with numerous rocks scattered around to further add deterrence to the idea.

As he got closer to the studio, he could see the giant mascot rolled over to the side of the path, and also the pedestal from where it had fallen. It was a giant bronze globe with a face carved on it, smiling emptily up at the sky, and was easily big enough to block the entire path, and looked heavier than a plane his size, given it was almost twice the size of him. There'd be no moving that without considerable help… so it seemed as if the alibis of the personnel at this studio would hold up.

The studio itself was set back behind a large, black, wrought iron fence, whose spiked tips looked more like medieval battlements that said "keep out" than a place where TV shows were filmed. A ramp led upwards into the studio, culminating in a platform that reminded Dusty of the loading platforms for semi-trailers behind large stores, which was probably what it was for, as he figured without a doubt that props would have to be gotten into the studio for shooting.

He could also see a trailer that looked like it could haul a boat or something off to the side in the grass, but no boats were present from what he could see.

Well, there nothing of any real note here for now… he turned and headed back up the path towards the employee area, giving another ominous glance in the direction of the security camera. Already he could see police cars heading his way, most likely having completed their sweep of the area for now. They kicked up gravel and dust behind them that swirled in a giant cloud as they drove by, not paying him any mind as they headed back towards Studio One.

Approaching the employee area, Dusty whistled as he could see this place was loaded. It had fully automated paint shops, prop shops, a café, and hangers and trailers for the stars. It could take awhile to look through this area, but Dusty really only wanted to focus on two things: Rip's hanger and Jack's hanger. Both had come back here for lunch after all, and as he passed by the outdoor dining area, dirty plates that looked like they'd been sitting at least a day greeted him on one of the tables.

Stopping briefly, Dusty turned, and examined the plates. Food stains were smeared all over the place, and it wasn't difficult to imagine that Jack and Rip had enjoyed a hearty meal here before Rip went to sleep and Jack somehow got himself killed. Just what had happened here? There were no signs that a fight had broken out at the table… everything was pristine and just looked as if had been abandoned, which it had. It was like a ghost town out here, and the spooky atmosphere sent a shiver down Dusty's back as he prepared to move on.

But something caught his eyes, and he turned again, his propeller wind milling a bit as he glanced down at one of the plates. He'd almost missed it, but there it was: a fine, white powder could just barely be seen on the edges of the plate he was staring at. It looked alien and completely out of place as it rested there, and Dusty marveled at this. Was it some kind of drug? If so, why would it be mixed in with the food? Whose plate was this? Had either Jack or Rip slipped drugs into their food? But what for?

None of it made any sense, and Dusty continued on, sighing as he entered Jack's hanger first. Everything seemed completely normal inside, and Dusty was about to give up when he paused, and headed over to Jack's locker. It was slightly ajar, and figuring he may as well, Dusty used his wing to open it up the rest of the way. There were a few pictures in here, most likely of Jack's family, which caused Dusty to stare at them uneasily. Grinning Mustangs were looking back at him, with Jack clearly visible in one picture. Their brother… son… he was dead now… and these faces wouldn't be smiling anymore.

Averting his eyes as best he could, Dusty saw a bottle of sleeping pills resting on a shelf. Curious, he leaned in for a better look, standing up taller on his wheels to look inside. The pills were white… which would leave a white powder when crushed. Suddenly, it hit him like the storm he'd encountered off the Dwight D. Flysenhower. Gasping, he thought back to earlier today… Rip had slept for more than three hours… a long nap by any plane's standards… what if… someone had drugged him? They needed him out of the way, so they'd spiked his lunch with sleeping pills but… why would they do that? These pills were in Jack's locker, which made not a shred of sense to him. Why would Jack drug his co-star? Just what was going on here? Or was it… the other way around? Had Rip… drugged Jack and then killed him?

Gulping, Dusty backed away now, hoping the latter wasn't the case. Rip's hanger, although interesting, sadly contained nothing relevant in Dusty's eyes. Fan mail lay everywhere, and giant posters of Rip striking various poses adorned the walls, but there was nothing that could help him figure out what had gone on here.

Deciding to finally bite the bullet, Dusty decide to do the thing he dreaded most. Rolling back out onto the gravel, he took a deep breath, and approached the bright red fire alarm box that rested against the side of Rip's hanger. Gazing at it for a moment, Dusty steeled himself, and jammed his wing into it, a clanging bell immediately ringing as the alarm was tripped. This was a crime… this was a crime… what was he doing? Panicking for a moment as he backed away, he gathered himself, and headed back down the path towards the studios and the main gate, the alarm continuously dinging behind him in a guilty tone that sounded like it could shatter his ears.

Cringing, he tried to act natural, like he was just out for a nice stroll through the paths of a closed off crime scene… oh this was crazy! This was crazy! But sure enough, the security guard from the booth raced by him now towards the employee area, jabbering incoherently into her radio. Other police cars followed close behind, their sirens wailing as he moved aside for them, trying to act normal, despite feeling like his engine could explode at any moment from the mounting oil pressure.

Well… his gamble had paid off… it was time to get that "decisive evidence", or what he hoped was the decisive evidence. Picking up speed, he let gravity take over as he began rolling down the hill, not applying the brakes as he headed right for the guard booth.

Letting himself coast up to it, he slid on inside, just barely fitting despite his wingspan. He gazed at the computer, and frantically began searching for buttons to bring up files from yesterday. "Uh… uh… uh…" he quickly tapped his tire on some buttons, unsure of what he was doing. It squawked at him, then went silent. "Come on!" He glanced up back at the path, his oil pressure rising as he knew that at any moment, he could be busted in here. "Come on… come on!" He quietly pleaded, finally seeing a menu option to view previous files. Hitting that, he saw various timestamps that dated back a week. Quickly scrolling up until he found yesterday's entries, he scanned them rapidly, feeling like his engine was about to catch fire. "Come on! Uh… 2:30 yesterday so… anything before 2:30… THERE!" he exclaimed, noting a file for 2:15. Punching that option, he almost whacked his head on the ceiling of the booth as the printer came to a life with a noise that sounded like machine gun fire going off, causing him to violently jump.

The photo was slowly pushed out of the slot, Dusty pleading with it to move faster as he could see police lights in the distance reflecting off the leaves. "Come on! COME ON!" he yelled, catching the photo in his mouth as it was spit out. He tore out of there, hitting the gate button on his way out to raise the gate and allow him egress.

Panting, he headed out onto the sidewalk and kept going, not stopping until he was a block away and he felt safe enough to slow and then halt. Spitting the photo out onto the pavement, Dusty glanced down at it, his tension suddenly shattering as he felt a pit enveloping him as he plunged into its depths. "No!" he gasped, shaking his head. "It can't be!"

But it was… the photo clearly showed a green and black Mustang, his right landing gear slightly bent, limping his way towards Studio One. "No… no…" Dusty whispered, closing his eyes and sinking on his pontoons as he realized his worst fears were true… Ripslinger had been caught on camera… heading to the scene of the crime only 15 minutes before the murder took place…


	4. Chapter 4: Trial

The day dawned pleasantly enough over the Los Angeles District Court. Numerous vehicles were attempting to get seats to Simon Blackthorn's latest trial, and honks and beeps could be heard as cars jostled for position as they entered via the numerous doors and security checkpoints. Ripslinger's trial was big news by now, and everyone wanted to turn out to see it, though seats were of course limited.

Rip was led under heavy guard into the lobby of the courtroom where he'd be standing trial. He played his usual cocky self for the cameras, saying he'd been through worse than this, and that he wasn't concerned about the outcome of the trial.

As for Dusty, he waited. He had a pass to enter the courtroom and stand with the defense, and while he wasn't certain about Rip's innocence at this point, he was excited all the same to finally come face to face with Blackthorn. He purposely waited for the courtroom to fill up, and then headed in, proudly rolling down the aisles as he made straight for the defense's bench. He was careful not to strike anyone with his wings as he moved, and made doubly certain to approach the bench slowly so that Blackthorn could see him.

As the Maserati finally caught sight of him, he seemed to freeze. His eyes stayed on Dusty as the firefighter rolled gradually towards the bench. The plane could feel Blackthorn's eyes on him, and he knew the car recognized who he was, despite the change in his appearance. Blackthorn's eyes followed Dusty as he coasted up to the defense's bench, lingering on him as Dusty greeted Rip and the defense attorney.

Finally looking over at him, Dusty gave Blackthorn a confident smile, pushing his nose up a bit in greeting and pride, as if he were showing off. Blackthorn seemed confounded by this, acting as if he were seeing a ghost float through the courtroom. Dusty just kept smiling at him, even as the judge approached his position and brought the court to session with a banging of his gavel.

"All rise, for the Honorable Judge Spinner!" Cars pushed themselves up as high as they could, and Dusty didn't actually catch the name of the black Cadillac Escalade judge that was presiding over this trial at the moment. He looked quite similar to former Piston Peak Park Superintendent Cad Spinner, and with good reason: he was Cad's older brother.

"I hereby bring the State of California vs. Ripslinger to session!" Judge Spinner announced. "Prosecutor Blackthorn, your opening statement, please."

But Blackthorn was still staring at Dusty, riveted to him as his eyes looked as if they were trying to scrutinize him to the point of burning holes through him. "Ahem… Prosecutor Blackthorn… is something wrong?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"Huh?" Blackthorn asked, blinking now to look up at the judge. "Sorry, your honor. Uh yes… my opening statement…" He drove out from behind his bench now to face the jury. Dusty never stopped smiling in his direction the entire time; it was almost as if he were encouraging his opponent to do a good job as he delivered his opening comments to the jury. It was mostly the usual "I'll prove his guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt" type thing. But he'd occasionally glance in Dusty's direction in a distracted fashion, to which Dusty would rise up just a bit higher and shift his rudder from left to right, as if he were waving at him.

The defense proceeded with their own opening statement afterward, promising to bring up inconsistencies with the prosecution's arguments. The defense attorney made it clear he'd be expecting Dusty's help throughout the day though, as Dusty had found some interesting things at Global Studios yesterday.

Blackthorn first called up Detective Crawford to establish the facts and locations with a giant map that was shown to the jury. He pointed out that the defendant had left the employee area sometime after 2:00 PM, and headed over to Studio One to commit the murder around 2:30. The victim was killed by impalement with the Super Sonic Spear, which the defendant allegedly thrust through him to pin him to the ground of the studio. As the detective outlined the day's events, Dusty picked up something that was wrong with this description, and he smiled to himself as he filed it away for later use.

Crawford went on to describe the earthquake and how it had blocked the path to Studio Two, trapping everyone at that studio there, making it impossible for anyone but Ripslinger to have committed the crime. After establishing the locations of the major buildings of the studio for the jury, Crawford was dismissed, and Blackthorn's first witness was called to the stand.

As they waited for the witness to arrive, Dusty leaned over to Rip. "So… that nap you took… you were out for what? Over three hours?" he asked in a low voice.

"Uh… yeah I think so." Rip replied.

"How long do you typically nap for?" Dusty continued.

"I dunno… about an hour, I guess." Rip answered.

"And… were you feeling particularly tired when you turned in?"

"What do you mean, Crophopper?" Rip asked.

"More tired than you usually feel when you nap." Dusty explained.

"Hm… now that you mention it yeah… I felt exhausted after lunch for some reason… could barely keep my eyes open as I moved into my hanger. Fell right asleep and didn't wake up till hours later… it was strange now that you mention it." Rip declared.

"I thought so…" Dusty commented softly. His theory that Rip had been drugged seemed to be playing out perfectly. Now exactly who had drugged Rip was another story but… Dusty felt he had the answer to that too thanks to the photo he'd obtained. The hows and whys of it weren't yet known to him, but he'd get there.

The first witness was the old security guard from Global Studios, introduced as Wendy Airbags. "Now then, witness, please testify to the court what you saw the day of the murder." Blackthorn began, driving out into the middle of the courtroom.

"Very well… oh and I must say, Thorny, you're quite the looker!" Airbags said, smiling over in his direction. "Shiny black paint, that engine sounds like you go a million laps at the Indy 500, and those EYES!" she batted her own eyes at him.

"Uhh… ahem, your testimony, please." Blackthorn interrupted, trying to maintain his composure and clearly annoyed with his witness.

"Oh yes… the testimony… well I saw the defendant, Ripslinger… horrible plane that he is, moving by my booth at around 2:15 PM!" Gasps erupted from the court here. "No doubt it was him! Green and black paint… sleek Mustang… I'm positive it was him! He was heading in the direction of Studio One! We even snapped a photo of him via our security camera heading to the scene of the crime to murder poor, innocent Jack!" Airbags frowned sadly here, sniffing as she thought of it.

"Uh, objection!" All eyes turned to stare at Dusty Crophopper. "Uh… whoops, sorry! Can I do that?" he asked the defense attorney. Blackthorn glared at him, but the defense attorney only shrugged and nodded. "Thanks!" Rolling out towards Blackthorn now, he smiled as he faced the jury. "See I have an objection to her testimony!"

"What… are… you… doing?" Blackthorn asked darkly, eyes forming daggers as he stared Dusty down.

"Well it's just you see, Blackthorn, she didn't necessarily see Ripslinger that day." Dusty stated.

"Are you mad? Of course she saw him! Our photo proves it! Show the photo to the court!" he ordered, and the photograph was put up on the screen now. "I present this as evidence showing the defendant, Ripslinger, heading towards the scene of the crime!" Murmurs broke out in the court now as everyone began discussing the photo, and how it clearly did show Ripslinger.

"Order in the court!" Judge Spinner banged his gavel. "Order! Mr. Blackthorn, the court accepts this photograph as evidence."

"Ah good! Cause I'd like to point out a problem with this photo!" Dusty quickly jumped in. "See while Ripslinger does indeed play… well Ripslinger in Riptide, that doesn't necessarily mean that's him in the photo! Tell me, Prosecutor Blackthorn, what type of plane was our victim?"

"A Mustang, the same as the defendant…" Blackthorn answered, trailing off here.

"EXACTLY! And if you all recall, when Detective Crawford pointed out earlier the employee area, he also pointed out that there was a fully automated paint shop in said location, which the actors could use to paint on ANY preprogrammed paint scheme, INCLUDING Ripslinger's!"

"Objection!" Blackthorn stated, facing the judge. "Your honor, I'd like to point out that the defense has a weak argument! If you observe in the photo, the plane's right landing gear is bent! It just so happens our defendant bent his landing gear that day in a training accident with the victim! It's still bent in fact, as you can see! On top of that, the victim only had ONE propeller on his nose… the defendant has two, and as you can see, the plane in the photo also has two." Blackthorn smirked now at Dusty, but the firefighter wasn't done yet.

"Hmmm… yes I can clearly see that!" Judge Spinner agreed. "Does the defense have a counter to this?"

"Actually I do!" Dusty declared, smiling at Blackthorn here. "My dear Mr. Blackthorn, I would like to also point out that there were prop shops at the employee area. It's not a stretch of the imagination to think that our victim ALSO got a broken landing gear prop, switched out his regular landing gear for it, AND put on an extra propeller!"

"What are you driving at here, Crophopper?" Blackthorn demanded angrily now. "What's the meaning of this nonsense? You're saying that's the VICTIM we see in the photograph? You're saying he painted himself to look like the defendant, purposely stuck on a broken landing gear, added an extra propeller, and then hobbled his way over to Studio One? WHY? For what end? That's absolutely ludicrous! I'm telling you that IS the defendant! You're trying to obfuscate this trial with meaningless nonsense and I call for the judge to penalize the defense for this circus he's instigating!"

"I'm not done yet!" Dusty continued. "Your honor… with all due respect, Detective Crawford mentioned that the defendant left his hanger to go murder Jack Rotor… but if that were true… where's the SECOND photograph show Jack heading to Studio One, hmmm? We have no evidence that Ripslinger ever left his hanger to begin with! MY theory makes sense! That's Jack Rotor in that photograph, and Ripslinger was asleep in his hanger the whole time as he claimed!"

"Mmph!" Blackthorn pursed his lips, glowering at Dusty. "This is groundless obfuscation your honor! Mr. Crophopper is clearly confused and thinking he can suddenly play lawyer all of a sudden. I move he should be removed from this court and-"

"Actually… Thorny dear?" Airbags spoke up now, causing Blackthorn to turn to face her. "There WAS a second photograph."

"What? Why didn't you let me know about this, Ms. Airbags? This is vital evidence!" Blackthorn snapped.

"It's just… it didn't seem relevant. I erased it from the computers in fact. It only showed a small car… no more than a child. He snuck into the studio that day and I had to chase him down." Airbags explained.

"Hmmm… well a small child couldn't have possibly wielded the massive murder weapon! Ergo, your honor, I once again call for the defense to be penalized and to have this plane removed from the court!" Blackthorn urged.

"Your theory does seem rather farfetched, Mr. Crophopper. Let's not forget, Jack was found in his Crusty Windchaser paint scheme, so how do you explain that?" Judge Spinner asked.

"Indeed! Regale us with your fantasy, Mr. Crophopper! I'm sure the court would LOVE to hear this tale of mystery and paint shops!" Blackthorn sarcastically smiled in his direction.

"Well… I don't know how he ended up in Crusty's pain scheme… but let's prove he was painted in Ripslinger's paint scheme, shall we?" Dusty tried here. "Scrape off his paint! Let's see what he's hiding underneath his orange and white, shall we?" Dusty smugly asked.

"Ha! Very well! Let's scrape off his paint!" Blackthorn replied. "Even if we find the defendant's paint scheme underneath, it doesn't prove you're right!"

"No… but it leaves reasonable doubt… and that your honor, must be cleared up!" Dusty turned to face the judge's podium now. "We can't prove definitively who was in that photograph, but it gives my theory credence because we have no second photo of Jack even going to Studio One! So if that's NOT Ripslinger in the photo… it can ONLY be Jack Rotor, and we KNOW Jack was killed AT Studio One! Rip!" Dusty turned to Ripslinger now. "Was there anyone else with you at the employee area besides Jack?"

"Nope… it was just me and him…" Rip replied.

"Huh! Isn't that interesting, Mr. Blackthorn? If it's not Rip… who else can it be? What OTHER Mustang was present that day?"

Snorting, Blackthorn looked like he was about ready to slap Dusty, but he turned to the judge now. "Your honor, I'd like to request a recess to test the defense's theory. Also, I'd like this child from the studio to be brought in. He could in fact be a key witness."

"Very well, Mr. Blackthorn. I grant you let's say…" Spinner looked at the clock. "An hour and a half to locate and prep this witness as well as conduct your paint test. We'll reconvene in an hour and a half!" Spinner smacked his gavel down, and the court came alive with chatter over what had just happened, and over who this mysterious plane was that had just shown the great Simon Blackthorn up.

"Excuse me your, honor." Dusty said, looking up at the judge. "You look and sound awfully familiar… are you by any chance related to a Cad Spinner?"

"Cad? Why he's my brother! Younger brother that is!" Judge Spinner responded. "I heard he received a demotion recently." The judge commented thoughtfully.

"Oh! Uh… yeah… guess so…" Dusty responded vaguely.

"How do you know him?"

"He used to be my boss before his demotion." Dusty didn't go into details.

"Fancy that! Well if you see him again, tell him I said hi! We don't talk very often, and I've been wondering what he'd been getting up to recently. You know I helped him land that job as park superintendent, but it seems he didn't know what to do with it." Judge Spinner chuckled here. "And don't worry… you can say it: my little brother still needs to grow up and get his priorities straight! I thought giving him some responsibility would help him, buuuut I guess he didn't learn from it."

"Eheh… yeah I guess not." Dusty replied, looking away. "Well, I'm gonna go grab a cup of oil. See you after the break!" Quickly turning and heading towards the exit of the courtroom, Dusty could see Ripslinger mulling about the double doors. "Hey Rip! Pretty good, huh?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, yeah, real good." Rip replied, apparently not interested in Dusty's latest theory. "Why don't you go back to your farm now, Crophopper? You did good… you did real good, but I think we got this one in the bag now, thanks for your help!" Dusty could see there was no sincerity in Rip's voice, and if anything, he sounded dismissive.

Moving in front of him to block his exit, Dusty shot an angry look at him. "Hey! I just got you off the hook for now! A little gratitude would be nice!"

"Just go back to your farm, Crophopper! I don't NEED your help!" Rip snapped. "I never NEEDED your help!"

"You know what, Rip! You need to cut the attitude! You COULD say 'gee, thanks Dusty, I really appreciate this!' But nooo! All I get is you trash talking me! Don't you get how serious this is? I'm grasping at straws in there, and if Blackthorn unravels even a single one of them, you will be put to DEATH, got it? You will die! If this is about your hatred of me, you need to let that go! Right now, I'm the only one even giving a damn about your innocence, so cut the crap! You want to take your chances with Blackthorn, you be my guest, cause I will let you have it in a rev's instant! This is SERIOUS and I'm the only one doing ANYTHING for you right now! I didn't see your defense attorney present my theory!" Dusty angrily retorted.

For an instant, Rip looked like he might try and bit Dusty's propeller off, even despite the bailiffs surrounding him. Fire burned in his eyes, but finally, it subsided, and he softened, looking away here, down to the ground. "I… I don't want to die…" he finally confessed.

"Then is what you told me the truth? Were you REALLY asleep the whole time?" Dusty asked, not backing off.

"Yes… what I told you was true. I was asleep the whole time… when I woke up, Jack was dead. I have no idea why he'd paint himself to look like me, or who killed him. I…" he trailed off here.

"Well I think you were drugged. That's why you slept that long. Tell me, did Jack bring your lunch over to you from the café?"

"Yeah… now that you mention it, he did." Rip confirmed.

"And since there was no one else in the employee area…. I think he spiked your food. For some reason, he needed you out of the picture so he could make himself look like you. Just why I… don't know but… do you have any ideas why he'd want you out of the way for a few hours?" Dusty asked hopefully.

"I got nothing, Crophopper. Not the faintest idea." Rip shook his front here in the negative.

"Was anything missing or stolen from your hanger?" Dusty tried here.

"I don't think so. The police checked all that… it was all there. I mean just what the hell was Jack thinking? Why paint himself like me? What was he hoping to do?"

"That's the big question… why would your co-star make himself out to look like you… and then head to Studio One?" Dusty mused aloud, looking up. "I mean he clearly went to great lengths to look like you. He even put on a broken right landing gear and added an extra propeller to his nose… like he WANTED that photograph to be taken… but why? He wanted it to be known you were going to Studio One…" Dusty said to himself, extrapolating on his thoughts now. "And then somehow… he repaints himself but NOT at the employee area… since the camera didn't catch him heading back… and ends up killed… just what was he doing?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Rip replied. "I haven't the faintest idea, as I said before."

"Well anyway, I'm gonna grab a cup of oil…" Dusty suggested, turning now to let Rip pass.

"Think I'll join you." Rip stated. "Could use a cup of oil myself." They made their way over to the oil machine, but as Dusty was letting the oil fall from the dispenser, a familiar engine suddenly sounded behind him. It was him…

Turning around, he came face to face with Blackthorn. "What do you think you're doing Crophopper? I don't see you for years and suddenly you turn up here, interfering with MY case?" He drove towards Dusty, causing him to back up against the table. "What kind of game are you playing here? You don't even have an attorney's license!"

"Yeah Blackthorn… it's good to see you again too." Dusty began. "Yeah you're right… we haven't seen each other in years… and you know full well who's responsible for that!" he stated.

This didn't seem to phase Blackthorn, who glared at him. "I don't know what you're doing here Crophopper, or what you're playing at, but I'm going to crush you, you understand me? NO ONE gets in my way, not even you!"

"Yeah isn't that funny? Big prosecutor on the block now aren't ya? Must be making your father real proud!" Dusty shot back.

This caused Blackthorn's eyes to blaze, and he practically pushed Dusty against the table now. "You… know NOTHING about my father… OR me, do you understand, Crophopper? Do I make myself ABSOLUTELY clear?"

"Hmph. Well the Blackthorn I knew would NEVER abandon the innocent… nor turn his back on standing up for others! The Blackthorn I knew wasn't a bully, nor was he willing to CRUSH anyone! The Blackthorn I knew was noble and selfless!" Dusty wasn't intimidated by the Maserati, and looked him in the eyes here.

"Hm-hm-hm-hm. You have a naïve view of the world and how it works, you know that, Crophopper?" Blackthorn mocked.

"Yeah well, what happened to you, Blackthorn? What made you change? You never used to be like this!" Dusty pointed out.

"Hmph… criminals will do ANYTHING to get themselves declared innocent, Crophopper. ANYTHING. If all they do is lie to us…" he looked over at Ripslinger now. "Then you can never know if they're truly innocent or not. You may as well just put them all away! If you let even ONE criminal go… then you're just as bad as they are! Your naïve faith in this plane is misplaced, and I'm going to prove it!"

"And what about all the innocents you've condemned to death through your actions?" Dusty asked rigidly here.

"You won't ever be able to tell the difference between the innocent and the guilty! The innocent car says 'oh please don't condemn me to death! I didn't do it!' The guilty car says 'oh please don't condemn me to death! I didn't do it!' It's my job to put them away and prevent them from harming others!"

"Yeah, and keeping your perfect record perfect!" Dusty stated with disdain. "You don't even care about the truth, or what really happened! What about volo pro veritas, huh?"

"Latin for 'fly for truth' eh? And that's what? The words you live by, Crophopper? Oh please! The only 'truth' is that prosecutors must put everyone they face away! You're so naïve, Crophopper! If you really believe in those words, then you don't know the world like I do! It DOESN'T operate like that! It's clear to me you live in nothing but a fantasy. I've watched your races… I know what you're like. Your self-righteousness disgusts me! You think you're some rookie hotshot who's everyone's savior! Get your head out of the clouds, Crophopper! The world will come crashing down around you when I prove your client guilty, do you understand me? I have not lost a SINGLE case, and I'm not about to lose now. I always win Crophopper… ALWAYS!" Blackthorn said darkly.

Dusty was taken aback by this, not expecting it at all, but he quickly recovered and gathered himself. "Oh yeah? Maybe you're the one with your head in the clouds, Blackthorn! There is NO such thing as perfection in this world! I'm living a fantasy? Look at you! You think perfection is all that matters? I tried being perfect once too and guess what? It didn't work! What's gonna happen when you lose?"

"I DON'T lose." Blackthorn stated simply.

"Fine! I'll show you the true meaning of volo pro veritas! You'll see! I'm going to help you, Blackthorn, just like you helped me years ago! This isn't the real you, and I'm going to prove it!" Dusty stated defiantly now.

"OK… I'll be looking forward to that." Blackthorn mockingly replied. "I'll crush you, and show you what this world is really like. Your little theory will come undone in the blink of an eye… and you'll be left with a bitter taste in your mouth… you'll be left with all your little illusions and dreams shattered… and you'll see the truth for what it is…" Backing away now, Blackthorn turned and roared off, gunning his engine as he nearly ran into several cars as he headed for his office, the onlookers forced to get out of his way when he practically plowed through them.

"Wow… you know him?" Rip asked here, watching the departing prosecutor drive off in a huff.

"I did… but it was a long time ago… I just hope… I hope I'm right about him. The Blackthorn I knew would never do any of this! It's like I don't even recognize him anymore! But… but I can't abandon him! He didn't abandon me back then… and I'm not going to do that now! I HAVE to show him what he showed me! I think something happened to cause him to forget… something that had to do with his father, judging from his reaction… but I am NOT giving up! I never forgot what he did for me that day… and I never got the chance to repay him… this… THIS is my chance!" Dusty stated with determination.

"Wow… you know Crophopper… you are a nice guy." Rip said here, causing Dusty to swivel to look at him. "And no, I'm not gonna say the other half of that line… you ARE a nice guy. I mean hell… you don't really hate anyone, do you?"

"Uh… well… I-I don't know about that…" Dusty admitted here.

"But you're willing to help ANYONE. I mean you don't give up on anybody, do ya Crophopper?" Rip continued.

"It's something I learned from Blackthorn… and no… I guess I don't." Dusty conceded here.

"Well… much as I HATE to admit to this… I kind of… admire that." Rip stated here, looking off to the side.

"Thanks… Rip." Dusty said softly. "I just hope I can do this. I don't even know what I'm doing, to be honest with you!"

"Hey… let's grab lunch… I'll buy OK?" Rip suggested.

"You, buy?" Dusty asked, confused.

"Least I can do for the guy trying to save my skin…" Rip mumbled.

Smiling, Dusty nodded. "OK… let's do it then."

* * *

When court reconvened following the recess, Dusty knew he still had the sleeping pills card to play, but if he played it too soon, it could blow everything. He needed to wait to see what Blackthorn's moves would be first.

Judge Spinner brought the court to session, and turned to Blackthorn. "So! Prosecutor Blackthorn! What were the results of the paint test?"

"Er… we confirmed the defense's statement, your honor." Blackthorn replied here, causing Dusty to grin. "It's true the victim HAD painted himself with the defendant's colors shortly before his demise… but then for some reason painted himself back into his Crusty Windchaser colors, which only serves to confuse matters. However… we have in fact located the child present at the studio that day…" Blackthorn smirked here, looking over at Dusty. "And he claims he SAW the crime take place!"

"What?" Dusty squeaked, growing tense.

"I'd like to call him to the stand now, your honor! I intend to prove once and for all that it was the defendant and no one else who committed this crime! The prosecution summons witness Cody Cavalier to the stands!" The court once more broke out in murmurs and flurries of "what do you think?" and "looks like Blackthorn's done it again!"

"Rip! Do you remember a kid being at the studio?" Dusty whispered over to the former racer.

"No! I was asleep, Crophopper! Never saw a kid there once!"

Judge Spinner asked for quiet as a small Cavalier was led to the stand and sworn in. He was wearing a big green "Riptide" hat with Ripslinger's face on it, and a small, toy spear similar to the Super Sonic Spear was at his side, as was a camera on a hubcap holder. "Cameras aren't allowed in this court!" Judge Spinner protested, noting it as the small child glared at him.

"Um… he refused to testify unless he could carry it in, your honor. Sorry about that." Blackthorn apologized. "Anyway, this witness claims he saw Ripslinger in combat the day of the crime! Cody… if you would please tell the court exactly what you saw when Ripslinger entered combat two days ago?"

"Sure can!" Cody exclaimed, grinning. "I snuck into the studio two days ago. Ripslinger is the best! He NEVER loses! Wham! Bang! Chop! Slash! He's the coolest ever! I brought my new camera with me to take some photos! And that's when I saw it! Ripslinger fighting someone! He had his Super Sonic Spear with him, and it was just SO cool! He was lunging and slapping and kicking, and then, he dealt the final blow! Ripslinger NEVER loses! His opponent stopped moving, and Ripslinger won!"

Dusty narrowed his eyes at this. While vague… the kid had certainly seen SOMETHING that sounded like Ripslinger was indeed in some kind of fight.

"Huh… well it's a little shaky but… the defense may cross-examine. If it proves he's telling the truth, then… things aren't looking good for the defendant." Judge Spinner stated.

It was clear this kid had no idea that a crime had actually taken place, but if this was the best Blackthorn could do, Dusty would get right into the thick of things and get to the bottom of this. "Hey can I do the cross-examination?" Dusty asked Rip's lawyer.

"I don't think that's a very…"

"Let him do it." Rip cut his lawyer off.

"Uh, Rip, this isn't the best time for this. He doesn't have any training-"

"And I'm the one paying YOU! You do as I say!" Rip insisted. "Let him do it!"

Looking at his client aghast, the lawyer could only watch as Dusty rolled out again. "Uh so… Cody…"

"You look like a fire truck!" Cody exclaimed.

"Yep! I'm a firefighter! Can you tell the court again about the fight between Ripslinger and his opponent? Like… what exactly was Rip doing to his opponent?"

"Oh he used his Rip Slap, and his Rip Kick! And then he used his Rip Lunge! It was awesome!" Cody replied with a smile.

"Rip Slap? That doesn't sound like…"

"Are you insinuating the witness is lying?" Blackthorn objected.

"No… I think he saw something but… Cody, how exactly did Rip finish his opponent off? What did he do?" Dusty asked, careful not to suggest anything here to the young car.

"Um… well… he uh… he defeated him! I saw the whole fight, honest! His opponent stopped moving after it was over! Honest! Rip won the fight! Like he always does!"

"Um… but you can't even tell me HOW he won the fight. No special move? No… Super…" Dusty trailed off here, trying to drag it out of Cody.

"Uh well… that is…"

"Cody… you didn't ACTUALLY see the finishing blow, did you?" Dusty asked now.

"He just testified that he did!" Blackthorn insisted.

"But he can't provide any details!" Dusty countered. "I think he was distracted! I think he was trying to figure out how to take a picture with his admittedly new camera! Cody… was this what you were doing? Were you fumbling with your camera when Rip defeated his opponent?"

"Objection! The defense is leading the witness on!" Blackthorn protested.

"Mr. Crophopper, I don't know what you're trying to pull, but let the witness-" But Judge Spinner was cut off by Cody, who spoke up now.

"It uh… it's true." He dropped his eyes. "The lens wouldn't open in time so I… missed the final blow… but… I did see him win the fight! His opponent stopped moving, honest!"

Dusty noted something was wrong here, and decided to continue. "Didn't you take any photos of this fight, though?" he pressed. "I mean you're such a huge fan of Ripslinger, right?" Dusty smiled at the young car.

"You bet! He's the best!" Cody responded with a grin.

"Well… surely you took SOME photos, right? Like of his victory by chance?" Dusty asked.

"Uh well… see the thing is… all my photos were late and I missed a lot of the action… so I just… I deleted them all." Cody confessed.

"But what about the victory? Didn't Rip pose for you after he vanquished his opponent? Didn't you get a photo of him standing over his beaten foe? Anything like that Cody? I mean come on! Rip WON after all! You'd HAVE to get a photo of that!" Dusty had a new theory now, and it was starting to make more sense based on his older theory. If he was right… Cody had no photos of the victory… and he was starting to figure out why.

"Um nope… no I didn't…" Cody responded slowly, looking off to the side and trying to avoid looking at Dusty.

"What's the point of this line of questioning, Crophopper? He didn't get any photos! End of story! What's so mysterious about that? His story still holds up!" Blackthorn pointed out.

"Actually I beg to differ, Blackthorn. A hardcore fan like Cody NOT getting any photos that day? No… there's only one explanation for that… and that is… he didn't see Rip WIN the fight… he saw Rip LOSE the fight!" Dusty said with raised voice here, causing the court to break out in cacophony.

"What? Absurd!" Blackthorn cut in. "Ripslinger LOSE the fight? What is the meaning of this?"

"Order! Order! I WILL have order!" Judge Spinner shouted, banging his gavel multiple times. "Well? What IS the meaning of this claim, Crophopper?"

"Go ahead Cody…" Dusty said softly, rolling up to the kid, who was clearly on the verge of breaking down. His body was trembling like leaves in the wind, and he seemed scared now. Dusty placed his wing gently upon the child. "It's OK… tell the court what you REALLY saw… and why you didn't take any photos…"

"I… I…" Cody sniffed here, closing his eyes. "I saw Rip lose, OK?" Cody finally stammered. "I saw him lose… he… he… he stopped moving… and he… he… I was scared! Rip NEVER loses! And… and I drove away! I was scared!" Cody blubbered, breaking out into tears here.

Dusty's face fell, and he patted the kid with his wing here. "It's OK… it wasn't the real Ripslinger… he's sitting right over there… see?" he asked softly, causing Cody to look up and follow Dusty's wing as it pointed Rip out.

"Rip?" Cody asked, confused to see his hero alive and well standing mere feet from him.

"Ladies and gentlecars of the jury… this all but PROVES my earlier theory! If Cody Cavalier saw Rip LOSE the fight… he didn't see Rip lose… what he saw was Jack Rotor in Rip's paint scheme! Jack Rotor… for reasons unknown, painted himself in my client's colors, put on a damaged landing gear, slapped on an extra propeller… and then headed into a fight… a fight which he lost and which tragically, ended with his death!" Dusty declared.

"But… but why?" Blackthorn stuttered here. "Why would Jack Rotor, the victim, do such a thing?"

"But the cool-looking fire truck plane is right!" Cody cut in. "He's right! Rip DID look odd to me that day! He wasn't moving like Rip usually moves in the show! It was almost like… it was almost like it wasn't Ripslinger at all!" Cody confirmed. "And actually… actually… actually, I do have a photo from that day! I saved one photo! It wasn't of the fight though, or after the fight… if that's OK…" Cody stated.

"Yes! Show us!" Dusty insisted. "This could be vital!"

Blackthorn seemed visibly nervous for the first time since beginning this trial, and Dusty only hoped this photo would further back him up.

"One second!" Cody began fiddling with his camera, and finally, the photo was brought up. "Here! Here! Here!" he jumped up and down, excited now.

Both Dusty and Blackthorn drove over to get a look at the screen, and Dusty brightened upon seeing what it revealed. It showed what looked like Rip heading towards a studio with his Super Sonic Spear… but not just any studio… a big number 2 was clearly emblazoned upon the building in the background, and Dusty even recognized that foreboding wrought iron fence that he remembered being out front of Studio Two from yesterday.

"Well, well, well… it would appear… Blackthorn… that Jack Rotor, because that's who that is, was heading to Studio Two… NOT STUDIO ONE!" he yelled.

"Bu-but that's not…"

"It's right there… plain as day! Your honor, the prosecution's whole theory has now been shot full of holes! It seems Jack could very likely have been killed at Studio Two, and NOT Studio One! Which means EVERYONE who had an alibi at Studio Two… now has NO alibi!"

"WHAT?" Blackthorn roared, even as the court buzzed with life over the new revelation. "You… you can't prove ANY of that, Crophopper! It's just speculation!"

"Oh but I can!" Dusty triumphantly declared, deciding that now was the time to play his card. "Turns out Ripslinger was drugged before the murder even took place! My client was telling the truth! He WAS asleep the whole time!"

"What? Drugged? Preposterous!" Blackthorn shouted.

"I think not. Run a drug test of the defendant's plate that he ate his lunch on! You'll find his lunch spiked with sleeping pills! I now present this to the court! A bottle of sleeping pills found within Jack Rotor's locker… and the lunch plate that the defendant had his food on the day of the crime! Perhaps our victim, Jack Rotor, wasn't as innocent as we all think! For SOME reason… he needed his coworker out of the picture for a few hours! So he drugged his lunch, knocking the defendant out, and then made himself up to look EXACTLY like the defendant! Why he did this I'm not sure… but whatever the reason, everything we thought we knew about this trial is now out the window! I think we need to look VERY carefully at those present at Studio Two, wouldn't you say, Mr. Blackthorn? One of THEM and NOT my client is the murderer!"

Blackthorn looked like he was going to lash out and attack Dusty, but what exactly restrained him, Dusty wasn't sure. "Order! Order in the court!" Spinner yelled, slapping his gavel down to try and restore the situation. "Mr. Blackthorn!"

"Yes… your honor… "the Maserati turned to the judge now.

"The defense has brought forward an intriguing possibility! I cannot let this trial continue as is without both sides gathering further evidence! It seems your whole theory no longer holds water, Mr. Blackthorn! I order both the defense and prosecution to look into the new evidence we have! Find out what REALLY happened at Studio Two! Find out why Jack Rotor disguised himself as Ripslinger, and finally, find out who killed him and why! Mr. Blackthorn, if I were you, I would rethink your whole position on this trial…" Spinner cautioned, looking down from his podium with severity in his eyes.

"Y… yes your honor…" Blackthorn murmured, glaring darkly at Dusty now, who gave him a smile in return. "Rest assured… I'll get to the bottom of this…"


	5. Chapter 5: Hot Water

**Author's Note: **Sooo I was so inspired I decided to write another chapter, and boy was this one fun to write! Dusty winds up in some serious trouble here! Hope you all enjoy, and as usual, thanks for the reviews!

**Back to the Story**

As they exited the courtroom, Dusty was mobbed by the press, all of them eager to learn who he was and how he'd come up with such great theories to turn the case around in relatively short order. He stuck close to Rip, both because he had an armed escort, and because it made him feel more comfortable to be away from the flashing cameras and protruding microphones. "What can you tell me about the others at Studio Two?" Dusty asked as they began shoving their way through the crowd.

"Uh… well… there was the producer, the director… and I think a few scriptwriters." Rip commented, Dusty receiving an escort from the court bailiffs by sticking close to the former racer.

"The producer! You mentioned she was present with you when you were training with Jack, right?" Dusty asked here.

"Yep… Dee Tyresworth." Rip confirmed.

"What can you tell me about her?"

"Uh… well she came to the studio about five years ago… right around the time Jack took his nosedive." Rip commented.

"Nosedive?" Dusty asked here.

"Yeah… he used to be the studio's big star, a real hotshot actor with everything going for him. He starred in all the big roles… always took the lead… but when Tyresworth came in, he got knocked down to playing secondary characters or villains. I uh… I heard rumors, Crophopper. Bad rumors…"

"Rumors? What kind of rumors?" Dusty asked in a lower voice as they exited the courtroom into the afternoon sun.

"Er… I'm not sure I should say but… all of us kind of live in fear of Tyresworth. It's rumored she's got… connections with the West Coast mob… things like that." Rip's voice dropped here.

"The mob?" Dusty gulped.

"Yeah… but I probably shouldn't say more than that right now. You can find out more from the studio employees. And about the others… they were all nobodies until Tyresworth became our producer. The director? He was a direct to video director before Tyresworth brought him to work at Global and the scriptwriters? They were all nobodies… and then Tyresworth brings them on board and all of a sudden we've got acclaimed scripts. Go figure… there's something fishy going on at Global, Crophopper. If you're going back there today… watch your back, OK? I didn't tell you this before because I didn't care in all honesty… there's something going on at those studios, Crophopper. You don't dare cross Dee Tyresworth, got it? She's… even if it's only rumors… it's enough to keep even ME from pushing her buttons, got it?"

"Hmm… this plot is thickening." Dusty commented here. "A producer with rumored ties to the mob… nobodies who suddenly become somebodies at the studio… and a former star who gets busted down to secondary roles… this is getting more and more interesting the more I learn!"

"Yeah well… don't go too far from those cops if you go there today, got that? And you DIDN'T hear this from me." Rip muttered.

"Got it… thanks for the info, Rip. Blackthorn's heading there now, so I may as well too. Gotta make your case after all." Dusty stated. "And I'll watch my back, don't worry." He assured Rip. "See you tomorrow!"

* * *

As he rolled up to Global Studios, Dusty was met by a plethora of police cars. In their midst was Blackthorn, who was giving them directions. Seeing him pull up, Detective Crawford headed over. "Hey! Crophopper! Turns out you were right! Rip's plate tested positive for powder from ground up sleeping pills! On top of that, given the fact no one else was in the employee area save for the cafeteria cooks, we've pretty much determined that Jack Rotor drugged your client."

"Oh! I knew it!" Dusty declared. "Thanks for the info, detective! How are things otherwise?"

"Eh… we're rebuilding our case. Trying to find out what may or may not have occurred. Anyway, if you're gonna look around, don't touch anything, OK? We're still conducting our sweeps of Studio Two… and we're doing another one of the employee area too."

"Hey! Detective Crawford! Let's go!" Blackthorn called over to him, narrowing his eyes as he saw Dusty.

"All right! Let's go, boys!" Crawford led the way into the studios now as the prosecution team headed inside, Dusty watching them go. Heading up to the gate, he was annoyed to find it closed in front of him as he approached.

"Hey! Do you mind?" he asked, looking over at the glaring Airbags.

"You got my Jack in trouble today! Accusing him of painting himself like that nasty Ripslinger! How dare you!" the old security guard snapped.

"Hey! Wait a minute! He DID drug Rip! There's no denying that! The police just confirmed it! AND he painted himself like Rip too! Look I'm sorry I had to do it but… maybe you can help me help him, OK? I need some information… please?" he implored, giving her an innocent smile.

"Hmph… what is it?" she asked now.

"I heard about something that happened five years ago. Jack was a star back then… but when Producer Tyresworth came in… everything changed for him… why?" Dusty asked here.

Airbags frowned here, rancor evident on her face. "It was all an accident! Jack didn't mean to do it, but that horrible lady ruined his life! It was all her fault!"

"Uh… whose fault? What happened?" Dusty pressed gently.

"Tyresworth! Rotten woman that she is! She was overseeing a shoot with Jack and another actor named Manuel. The two were running through a stunt sequence at Studio Two, but… but my poor Jack! A terrible accident occurred! Jack he… he accidentally pushed Manuel… and Manuel… was killed!"

"KILLED?" Dusty asked now. "What happened?"

"Tyresworth saw the whole thing! So did a reporter! He snapped a photo, but Tyresworth used her connections in the mob to quickly 'silence' that poor reporter! She made the photo disappear… but she also used the accident to ruin Jack! She's been using it against him for the last five years now! She's forced him to play crap roles for chump change! She's used it to control him!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Tyresworth was blackmailing Jack Rotor?" Dusty asked here, his head starting to hurt as numerous possibilities opened up now.

"Yes! She was forcing him to play insignificant or hated roles in all her shows! She paid him next to nothing, and told him that if he ever protested, she'd reveal his secret to the world! We've all kept it very hush-hush here… because of her connections with the mob and for Jack's sake but… but I managed to get a copy of that photo of the accident that day before Tyresworth made it all disappear! I've kept it... just in case it'd ever be needed!" Airbags proudly exclaimed.

"I… I think I get it now!" Dusty gasped, rolling back here a bit. "I think I know what Jack was doing going to Studio Two disguised as Rip! Airbags! I need that photo! Please! It's VERY important! I promise you… I'll bring justice to this… and I'll go after Dee Tyresworth, but I need that photo!" he pleaded.

"Hmm… you'll make her suffer?" Airbags asked.

"Well… I'll ensure that this whole mess is cleared up, and that she pays for this!" Dusty tried to dance lightly on this issue, as he really didn't intend to make Tyresworth suffer after all…

"Well… all right… one moment." She went into her guard booth, and opened up a safe. "No one knows I had this… so DON'T go blabbing about it!" she said, holding out the photo for him now.

Dusty looked it over as she held it out to him. "HOLY CRAP!" Dusty yelled as he saw the gruesome sight.

"Keep it down!" Airbags snapped.

"That's… that's terrible!" Dusty exclaimed, looking at the photo again. Manuel, a plane, was lying impaled upon the sharp spiked fence of Studio Two… the one that Dusty had remembered so clearly from yesterday. A shocked Jack was staring, mouth agape from the loading platform of the studio, and an equally shocked Dee Tyresworth was looking on from the bottom of the ramp. "This was how Manuel died?"

"Yes… tragic day… I'll never forget it…" Airbags sniffed.

"I need this photo!" Dusty urged.

"You can have it… just make her pay for what she did to Jack… OK?" Airbags asked.

"I promise to correct all this!" He told her, taking the photograph now. "Is… Dee Tyresworth here today?" Dusty asked hopefully.

"Yes… she's at Studio Two, going over scripts. I imagine the police will be interviewing her but… they won't get anything out of her… not without that photograph at least. Good luck OK? And make her pay for Jack!" She raised the gate, and allowed him to enter the studios now.

Trying to calm himself down, Dusty felt his oil pressure rising again. What was he doing? Going to confront a potential mob boss with evidence? But… what other choice did he have? He needed to get to the bottom of this after all… and he felt certain he now knew more about this case than Blackthorn, but he still thought himself insane to be attempting what he was doing.

His wheels crunched along the gravel as he headed for Studio Two, starting to hyperventilate as Rip's and Airbags' words passed through his mind. Mob connections… dangerous lady… you don't push her buttons. Hearing the rattling of his wings as his body shook, he desperately wished he had Skipper here for backup as he rolled along the path. He felt cold all of a sudden, despite it being rather pleasant out today…

As he neared the fork that branched to Studios One and Two, Dusty passed by Blackthorn, Detective Crawford, and several other police cars who were deep in conversation about something. Blackthorn paused as he noticed Dusty rolling by on the way to Studio Two. Narrowing his eyes, he interrupted the conversation briefly by holding up his wheel for silence.

Dusty gulped. He wanted to just go into their circle and ask them for help… but if he did so… he could give away his advantage… he had to do this alone… although his body almost turned itself towards the prosecutor and his team of cops. This was crazy… what could he possibly do? But… he had to try… if he didn't… this case would never get solved…

Rolling on by the police cars, Dusty felt his stomach dropping deeper and deeper the closer to Studio Two he got. The trees seemed to close in on him now as he approached the gate, as if saying he would be swallowed and never come back. "Calm down… calm down… just picture Skipper's with you… just picture he's right by your side… it's a busy studio… she's not going to do anything… it'll be fine… just picture Skip…and Blade… and everything… will be OK…" He ached to have Skip and Blade at his side, but he was alone… and already he could see the producer relaxing outside the studio, casually puffing on a cigarette in a fancy holder as she gazed at the sky.

Rolling past the fence, Dusty gulped as he pictured Manuel's body lying impaled upon the spikes, and then, to his mortification, he pictured himself up there, causing him to gag, but he held the contents of his stomach inside, forcing the acidic and salty tasting bile back down his throat. "Uh… good afternoon… Producer Tyresworth?" he asked the brown Lexus now as he approached.

Turning to look at him, she blew smoke off to the side. "What's a firefighter doing here? Coming to explain that false alarm yesterday?" she asked in a bored voice.

"Uh… not exactly. I'm actually investigating the Jack Rotor murder." Dusty began, feeling his throat close up.

"Hmm… I already told the police everything I know… twice." She responded.

"Uh actually I'm with the… the… the defense." He stammered.

"Oh… haven't been interviewed by them, yet." She confessed, blowing more smoke. "So, what do you want to know?"

"Um… I want to know about the incident five years ago." Dusty said, feeling his oil pressure practically bursting out of his engine.

A pause… then she turned to look directly at him. "What incident five years ago?" she asked innocently.

"Uh… this…" Dusty produced the photograph, holding it on his pontoon, but keeping it well out of her reach.

She narrowed her eyes as she saw it, then exhaled more smoke. "Not out here." She stated. "Too many others around. Come into the studio… we'll talk." She said simply, turning around now and beginning to drive up the ramp.

Bad idea Dusty! Don't follow her! But she was also right. Cops were milling about in the yard of the studio, photographing various things, and a few studio personnel were present as well. He hadn't even noticed them before; he'd been so fixated on her.

"Well... are you coming or not?" Tyresworth asked him, looking behind her briefly.

"Uh… coming!" Dusty replied in a meek voice, beginning to roll up the ramp now. He hoped there were cops inside, but his heart sank as he could see the studios were largely empty. Dusty noticed the studios contained another automated paint shop… and he wondered if this was where Jack had been repainted… perhaps even after his death.

The Lexus drove her way into what looked like an office, and Dusty reluctantly followed her inside. With mounting tension, she shut the door behind him, and led him into a spacious executive office complete with a desk, red carpeting, various Global Studios' posters on the wall, and a green metal door in the back of the room.

"Forgive the décor… it's a little Spartan I admit compared to what you'll find in a bigwig Hollywood film producer's office but… I work with what I got. Anyway…" she turned to face him now, extinguishing her cigarette in an ashtray on her desk. "Where did you get that photograph?"

Dusty felt dizzy as he struggled to get his words out. "Uhhh… I cannot… currently… say…" he responded in a monotonous, robotic voice.

"Hmph… so let's talk. What do you want to know?" Tyresworth asked here.

"You uh… you used this incident… to blackmail… Jack Rotor… didn't you?" Dusty asked, voice strained. The words felt thick as molasses as they left his mouth, causing him to trip and bog down in his own sentences.

"Let's say for a moment that that's true… what of it?" Tyresworth asked.

"You… forced him to work for chump change… take all the bad roles in the studio… humiliated him for five years… that would… lead to… him not liking you much… wouldn't it?" Dusty stumbled.

She smiled at him here… but it wasn't a nice, warm, or inviting smile. "Hmm… well now, first off… that incident was no accident." She stated here.

"It… wasn't?" Dusty asked, cringing.

"If it was… do you really think Jack would've let me run his life for the past five years? Jack killed that actor on purpose." She said dismissively. "If it WAS a simple 'accident', why would he honestly let me control him as long as I did? Oh no… he was guilty… guilty of murder you see." Tyresworth told him point blank.

"But… you don't deny it?" Dusty asked.

"I'll admit, I called you in here for one reason only: I want that photograph." Tyresworth told him plainly.

"Uh… that's not gonna happen." Dusty responded. "It's valuable evidence… I can't… just give it over."

"You misunderstand, Mr. Firefighter." Tyresworth told him bluntly. "I'm not asking for it." Suddenly, the green door behind her opened, and four black SUVs rolled out, all wearing shades. They began to driving towards him, smirks and grins on their faces as one or two chuckled wickedly.

"Uhhh… w-wait a minute!" Dusty stammered, beginning to back away now. "I-I'm a firefighter! You can't do this!"

"A firefighter? All I see is a plane about to suffer from an unfortunate accident…" Tyresworth sneered as she too began advancing on him.

Dusty was terrified as he tried to reach the door. "St-stay back!" he pleaded, feeling it not budge an inch behind him.

"It's locked… don't bother. You're going to find out how we… 'erase' certain problems here at Global Studios." Tyresworth said threateningly now.

"H-help! HELP! HE-" But Dusty was cut off as the SUVs rammed into him, shoving him against the wall, one of them jamming their tire against his mouth. Dusty's cries for help quickly became muffled pleas of "MMMM! MMMM!" as he struggled fiercely against his assailants.

"Take him out back… you know what to do…" Tyresworth ordered coolly, lighting another cigarette. Beginning to drag the struggling firefighter across the floor, Dusty tried to make as much noise as possible in the hopes someone outside would hear him, but already he could feel himself weakening as the SUVs held him firmly by driving against him in unison to move him to the back of the office.

But just as Dusty felt his energy leaving him as he expended it in fruitless fighting, the door to the office exploded into a thousand splinters, Detective Crawford having rammed himself into it. Blackthorn roared in right behind him, revving his engine as multiple officers followed suit, their guns draw on their hubcaps and leveling them at the occupants. "Nobody move!" Crawford ordered.

"It's the cops!" one of the SUVs shouted, and he burned rubber as he turned to flee out the back door. Several police cars activated their sirens, and took off after him, quickly slamming into him and throwing him against one of the walls. The other goons released Dusty and made no moves as the officers drove up to slap boots on them. Tyresworth glowered at Dusty, but realized she was beaten. She too offered no resistance here.

"Dee Tyresworth, you are under arrest for attempted kidnapping and threatening a firefighter! You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law!" Blackthorn began reading Tyresworth her rights, and a relieved Dusty almost fainted from the tension being eased in one swift movement. Panting, he made his way over to Blackthorn after the attorney was done. "Th-thanks Blackthorn!" Dusty replied shakily.

"Don't thank me! What were you THINKING going in here alone?" Blackthorn chided. "When I saw you heading towards Studio Two, I figured you were up to something… I just didn't realize quite what it was! So I decided to follow you just in case… turns out you were in WAY over your head!"

"S-still… thank you… I… I owe you again…" Dusty stuttered.

"Hmph… you owe me nothing, Crophopper." Blackthorn blew him off.

"No I mean it… thank you! Also… she… she HAS to testify tomorrow! About what happened here! I think… I think I'm starting to piece it together!" Dusty panted.

"Yes… perhaps you are… but yes I intend to call her as a witness tomorrow. Something shady's going on here at Global Studios, and I'm getting to the bottom of it!" the prosecutor declared now.

Sighing in relief, Dusty closed his eyes, almost giving in to the vertigo he was feeling: It was as bad as the times he got panic attacks whilst trying to fly too high during the Wings Around the Globe Rally. He quite literally thought he was going to die only moments ago, and the revelation that he wasn't was beyond description. It was like every good thing in the world was happening to him all at once, cascading down on him in a massive waterfall of alleviation that soothed him and left him feeling weak but giddy with joy at the same time. He WASN'T going to die!

Suddenly snapping his eyes open as he heard the cops starting to depart, he hurried after them, not wanting to let himself get left behind in this place! Taking one last look behind him at the green door, Dusty decided he DIDN'T want to find out what lay behind it… and turned his gaze forward, pushing himself out of the office and not looking back.


	6. Chapter 6: Truths Revealed

**Author's Note: **And the exciting conclusion to State vs. Ripslinger is here! You had a good line of thinking there Moviegirl44, with your statement about how similar the previous death of Manuel was to this current case! It shall be revealed here! I'd just like to say too that his ending was hard to write... pretty emotional, but I had to do it cause I need my story. :P Anyway, hope you all enjoy, and thanks for the reviews! :D

**Back to the Story**

The next morning, the media stations were all abuzz over the second day of State vs. Ripslinger. Rumors swirled around about what the outcome would be, and that rumored mob boss Dee Tyresworth would be taking the stand. Speculation was rife, but a conviction or acquittal was on everyone's lips.

As he rolled into the courtroom's lobby, Dusty Crophopper was once again hounded by the press. This time however, he had a police escort. The police were concerned that the mob might try a potential hit on the firefighter, given what had happened the day before. Needless to say, Dusty was appreciative of the protection. Detective Crawford met him at the doors to the courtroom. "So how are you feeling?" the Ford asked, giving the firefighter a bit of a smirk.

"Well… uh… I had trouble sleeping at first but… I think I'm OK…" Dusty responded. "Thanks for saving me back there…"

"Yeah well, seems you would've met a fiery fate: behind that green door they were dragging you towards was an incinerator. We found some interesting things back there, though, including the lunch plates of the Studio Two staff. Turns out everyone had lunch the day of the murder except Producer Tyresworth for some reason. Her plate was clean… no evidence of food on it at all." Crawford outlined.

"What… does that mean?" Dusty asked.

"You tell me." Crawford stated with a wink. "Did you know that had you not yelled for help, we wouldn't have been legally able to break into the room? An officer of the law can only enter a private area if they hear signs of distress… so good job on calling out for help." Crawford complimented him.

"Wow! Didn't know that! I guess… I guess I should call for help every time I'm in a jam!" Dusty stated.

"Yeah well… it's a good idea."

"An incinerator?" Dusty shivered just thinking about this. He was a firefighter, sure, but he didn't actually think his fate would be to meet with a fiery end somewhere. "Um… does… Blackthorn have a case against my client?" he asked here.

"Can't answer that… but you already know that…" Crawford gave him another wink and drove off into the courtroom. Sighing, Dusty figured he may as well head inside himself; no sense sitting around out here.

Blackthorn was already present, folders in front of him as he stared ahead, waiting for the judge to enter. Everyone had had lunch except Producer Tyresworth… that just had to mean something! As Dusty rolled up to the defense's bench, Rip gave him a terse nod and a slight smile. "I told you to watch your back out there, Crophopper."

"I uh… I got a little careless." Dusty admitted.

"That's you all right… reckless to a fault. Always pushing yourself and testing your luck." Rip murmured.

"Yeah well… if I can't redline it in life… what's the point?" Dusty responded.

"All rise for the Honorable Judge Spinner!" came the call, and the black Escalade was once again driving in from his chambers, heading up to his podium as he brought the court to session.

"I hereby bring State of California vs. Ripslinger to session! The prosecution may call its first witness!" Spinner banged his gavel.

"Ahem… the prosecution summons Producer Dee Tyresworth of Global Studios to the stand." Blackthorn stated, driving out from behind his desk. This was it! The moment of truth! If Dusty could somehow corner her and find the lies in her statements, he could bust this case wide open! He was convinced more than ever now that she had killed Jack Rotor… and he thought he knew why too, but he had to prove it. He had to piece it all together in a way that would make sense for the jury. He just prayed that Blackthorn didn't have any further tricks in his glove box as Dee Tyresworth took the stand and was sworn in.

"The prosecution would like to establish a timeline for Studio Two, and rule out said location as the crime scene, so, Ms. Tyresworth, if you wouldn't mind testifying about what occurred at Studio Two on the day of the murder?" Blackthorn asked her here.

"Certainly." Tyresworth responded. She seemed bored, as usual, and not concerned in the slightest. "Well, after rehearsals, I and my staff, consisting of my director and two scriptwriters, proceeded to Studio Two to review some upcoming scripts. We broke for lunch shortly before 2:30. We had our lunch and finished up around 3:00, at which time the earthquake struck. The giant mascot of Global Studios ended up falling on the path to Studio One, trapping us within the studios for an hour until our grounds crew was able to clear the mascot out of the way. At that point, it was about 4:00. We then proceeded straight to Studio One, where we discovered the body of Jack Rotor lying on the floor of the studio. I proceeded to immediately call the police, and our security lady, Wendy Airbags made the claim that Ripslinger was behind the crime, as she had seen him heading for Studio One around oh… 2:15 I believe it was. No one at Studio Two could've committed the crime thanks to us all being trapped." Tyresworth finished her testimony and looked out at the court.

It sounded like a solid story… solid except for the fact that Airbags had seen Jack Rotor and not Ripslinger that day… Dusty knew that much. However… how could he shoot this testimony full of holes? It was solid… it didn't lack any glaring flaws. He could claim that Jack had instead gone to Studio Two but she could simply deny having seen him… there had to be something…

Looking down at his flypad, he read over her testimony again, picking apart each sentence. He had to PROVE she had seen Jack Rotor. It looked bulletproof though… he couldn't directly refute anything she said. Just because Jack had been at Studio Two, Tyresworth could simply deny she had seen him that day. Ugh…

But then, he remembered something. "The defense may cross-examine the testimony!" Judge Spinner ordered here. Looking up, Dusty looked at Rip's lawyer.

"You want to do this too?" his lawyer asked sarcastically. Dusty nodded and moved out from behind the desk without a word.

"Uh… Ms. Tyresworth… you mentioned you broke for lunch at around 2:30." 2:30… right around the time of the murder… this was key! He only hoped he was right.

"That's what I said." Tyresworth stated.

"So… it's funny… the police found that everyone had lunch… except you. Your plate was devoid of any traces of food whatsoever. So… you didn't have lunch." He began slowly.

"That's absurd." She flatly replied.

"Yet there it is… and I'm going to go out on a limb here but… maybe the fact your plate was perfectly clean was because… you weren't eating lunch… you were doing something else."

"Like what?" she asked skeptically.

"Like… fighting the victim, Jack Rotor!" Dusty stated here. "See I noticed you like to smoke… I'm guessing you didn't take your lunch right away… I'm guessing you went outside for a cigarette… and when you did… that's when Jack Rotor approached!"

"Eheheheh… you're saying I killed him?" Tyresworth asked here. "You have a vivid imagination, Mr. Firefighter. Have you looked at me? Do you really think someone like me could wield the Super Sonic Spear? I don't have any attachments on my hubcaps… I don't have any physical way to actually grip the spear. Plus that spear is meant for a plane to wield… not a car… no I think you're sorely mistaken Mr. Firefighter. I'm not physically capable of wielding the murder weapon."

Dusty admitted she had a point… that spear was massive. It was much too big for a car to handle… and she was also right: she had no way of actually gripping the spear, much lest wresting it out of a big plane's grasp. There had to be something else… but at this point, Dusty felt he knew the answer: that photograph had provided him all he needed. "Well… I'm about to shock the court… but… I argue that the Super Sonic Spear is NOT in fact our murder weapon!"

"What?" Blackthorn asked here scornfully. "Crophopper have you lost your mind? It was DRIVEN through the victim's body when he was found!"

"AFTER he was already dead! I present this photo as evidence to the court!" Dusty produced the photo of the impaled Manuel, and handed it over to the clerk, who put it up on the screen for everyone to see. Gasps sounded throughout the room as they could see the actor lying upon one of the spikes of the fence. "I argue that it was Dee Tyresworth who killed our victim! All she had to do was push him off the platform of the studio and he'd fall right onto the fence! It happened five years ago to an actor in this very same location, and I argue that it happened again!"

"Oh yeah?" Tyresworth cut in here. "If the murder took place at Studio Two, how in the hell did the body end up at Studio One?" she snapped. "We were trapped there… meaning Jack would be trapped there too!"

"Until 4:00… when the mascot was moved!" Dusty stated. "I point out the large boat trailer present at Studio Two that was explained to us yesterday! Here's what I think happened Ms. Tyresworth: you fought Jack Rotor on the platform of Studio Two… or maybe you pushed him without warning! He falls onto the fence and dies! You then enlist the help of someone at your studio, as you couldn't possibly move him on your own. Everyone there owed you favors after all, since their careers were made thanks to you! You brought Jack into the studio where you repainted him using one of the automated paint shops back into his Crusty Windchaser colors. You then proceeded to load him up onto the boat trailer, waited for the grounds crew to clear the path, and drove him on over to Studio One! You THEN proceeded to doctor the scene by stabbing him with the Super Sonic Spear! Now as you pointed out… a single car couldn't possibly do this… but two cars? Sure! It'd be no problem for you to rig your hubcaps with holders for you and your accomplice, and then ram the spear into his body! It was the perfect way to throw everyone off the scent from the truth of what really occurred… and it almost worked too!"

"Almost worked, you say? I admit, I should hire you as a screenwriter, Mr. Firefighter. You have QUITE the imagination! You know what? I'll humor you. I'll concede that everything you said COULD be true but… where's your evidence?" she smirked at him now. "Without evidence, your story is just that: a story. Show me one SHRED of physical evidence proving that I did ANY of that. Well? What do you got? Anything? Hmmm? Anything at all?" she challenged here. "Prove I pushed him! Prove I repainted him! Prove I drove him over to the studio! Prove I doctored the scene! Well? Can you?" she pressed.

"I… I…" Dusty knew she had him here. He had not one thread of physical evidence linking her to any of this.

"It's true." Blackthorn broke in now, though even he seemed to be hesitant. He had listened to Dusty's theory with rapt attention, and had seemed highly suspicious of Tyresworth anyway, but even he couldn't deny the lack of physical evidence. "There does seem to be a lack of any real physical evidence…"

"Well… I don't… actually…"

"Yes, Mr. Crophopper? Do you HAVE physical evidence proving any of this wild theory of yours?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"I don't… your honor…" Dusty stated, slumping a bit. "I… don't…"

"Then… it would seem we're done here. Sorry, Mr. Crophopper… but trials are based on evidence in this country… not wild speculation. Still though, you'd make a great screenwriter. Anyway… if you have no evidence… then I guess my testimony is over with." Tyresworth definitively stated. "I can't add anything further to what I already said. If that's all then, your honor?" she asked, turning to the judge here.

"It seems Ms. Tyresworth has nothing further to add! In that case, the prosecution may call its next witness!" Judge Spinner ordered, and Dusty felt himself collapsing. Dammit! He'd been SO close! He'd been within an inch of solving this one! He opened his mouth, about to protest.

"Wait!" Dusty closed his mouth, a smile forming as he did so as Blackthorn suddenly shouted out, causing everyone to stare at him. "Er… wait, your honor!" Blackthorn stammered. "I-I have another question for Ms. Tyresworth."

"You do?" Judge Spinner asked, confused. "But her testimony was solid! No problems with it!"

"Just… give me a minute!" Blackthorn responded, driving back to his desk now to flip through his papers. Dusty, while shocked at this turn of events, let his smile grow. He'd done it! He'd convinced Blackthorn of her guilt! He was… he was doing it! He was dragging the old Blackthorn out!

"Mr. Blackthorn, what's the meaning of this? Do you have a question or not?" Judge Spinner asked impatiently.

"I do! I'd like her to testify about her discovery of the body! We haven't heard details on that yet! I'd like her to testify about what happened when she found Jack Rotor in Studio One!"

Good move! That was JUST the thing to ask about! If Tyresworth was lying about killing Jack, then her so-called "discovery" of the body would have to have some inconsistencies, since in reality, she didn't "discover" the body at all! She would be forced to invent her own story here, and Blackthorn was giving Dusty another chance to pick it apart! While Dusty couldn't catch her in the act of lying about her lunch at Studio Two, he MIGHT just be able to do so here!

He glanced over at Blackthorn, who glanced at him. Blackthorn almost seemed panicky, as if he wasn't even sure what he was doing. Dusty gave him a nod, and waited to listen to what Tyresworth had to say.

Sighing, the producer rolled her eyes. "Very well… let's see… so it was me, my director, my two screenwriters, and the security lady, Wendy Airbags, who discovered the body. Airbags was summoned shortly after we showed up. I called the police, and shortly after their arrival, Ripslinger showed up. Airbags stated he was the criminal, and testified to the police as such. Based on this evidence, Ripslinger was arrested. After the initial investigation, I headed back to Studio Two to retrieve my scripts, and headed home. The police concluded I had NOTHING to do with the murder. Satisfied?" she asked now, looking at Blackthorn pointedly.

"The defense may cross-examine the testimony!" Judge Spinner ordered.

Dusty knew he only had one shot at this. Glancing down at his flypad, he read through everything carefully. Blackthorn had given him a second chance… if he couldn't nail this… it would be all over. He had to admit, he was actually very excited. Blackthorn was showing signs of the young car he'd used to be… and it was just wonderful. It was something Dusty didn't think he'd see, but here it was. It was like the good old days… and Dusty wasn't going to blow this opportunity! This was his chance to not only help Rip… but Blackthorn as well!

OK… everything seemed pretty solid… except one thing… one thing didn't make sense to him… it was weak he had to admit… but it was all he had. "Ahem!" Rolling forward now, Dusty approached the stand. "Ms. Tyresworth… you testified that you went back to Studio Two to retrieve your scripts… so… why didn't you have them with you when you went to Studio One? I mean you were heading back to Studio One to recommence with rehearsals so… why no script?" the firefighter asked curiously.

"I didn't think there was going to be any rehearsals after our break, especially with a murder having taken place. Why bring scripts if they're not needed?" But now he had her! He opened his mouth, but once again, was beaten to the punch, only except this time, he wasn't expecting it.

"Objection!" Dusty's mouth closed once more, and once more, a large smile spread across it as Blackthorn broke in. "The only way you could know THAT Ms. Tyresworth… is if you'd KNOWN about the murder before even leaving Studio Two!"

Clamor broke out in the court now, and Dusty just smiled at Blackthorn, though the prosecutor wasn't looking at him. Beautiful… THIS… THIS was the old Blackthorn he knew and befriended! He was coming out… bursting at the seams! He was doing it! Volo pro veritas was triumphing!

"Uhhh… Mr. Blackthorn… are you sure you don't want to change your profession to a defense attorney? What are you doing? You're shooting your own case in the tire!" Judge Spinner pointed out here.

"Don't worry about that, your honor. I merely want a proper explanation from the witness." Blackthorn responded confidently. "Regardless of what my perceived role in the courtroom is, the witness MUST be truthful with us!"

"Yes!" Dusty hissed, causing Blackthorn to turn towards him. "Uh…" Dusty quickly started hacking, pretending to cough. "Sorry!" he quickly apologized.

"Hmph… what is this? Go after Dee Tyresworth day? Even the prosecution is after me now?" she glared at Blackthorn. "But fine… you want an explanation, you'll get one. Jack Rotor was injured, OK? I knew that from before. He couldn't rehearse, so I didn't need the scripts." She shrugged here. "Satisfied?"

"Objection!" this time it finally WAS Dusty who spoke up. "Uh… Ripslinger was injured… not Jack Rotor… you were present at the rehearsals… you should've known that!" he pointed out here.

Tyresworth's eyes widened as she realized now what she had said. "See that's funny, Ms. Tyresworth… it seems you keep getting mistaken… or you're lying… see… Ripslinger bent his landing gear… but it just so happens that Jack Rotor disguised himself as Ripslinger later that day… AND put on a bent piece of landing gear. The only way you'd know that though… is if you had SEEN HIM wearing his disguise that day!" Dusty proclaimed. "You DID see him that day didn't you? At Studio Two! It went exactly as I described! I know you did!"

"I… I meant Ripslinger!" Tyresworth countered.

"You JUST testified that it was Jack Rotor who was injured… NOT Ripslinger! Jack's 'injury' was fresher in your mind! It was burned in there thanks to the fact you killed him! AND you moved him! AND you doctored the scene! You were seeing his bent landing gear the whole time! You did this, Ms. Tyresworth!" Dusty shot back.

"Why then?" Tyresworth asked. "If I murdered Jack Rotor like you keep claiming, what motive would I have? I have NOTHING to gain from his death! Establish motive, Mr. Crophopper!" Tyresworth snapped. "Let's see you prove why I'd kill him!"

"OK! I'll play your game this time!" Dusty rose to the challenge.

"This should be rich…" Tyresworth muttered.

"You were blackmailing Jack Rotor for five years! I have witnesses who can attest to that! You used the death of his co-star to blackmail him and make him work for you for cheap! You made him take all the bad roles on your shows! You humiliated him and threatened to tell the authorities what he'd done if he refused to work for you anymore on your terms." Dusty began.

"Now wait a minute here, Mr. Crophopper! If Jack were being blackmailed, wouldn't that give Jack a reason to kill Ms. Tyresworth and not the other way around?" Judge Spinner asked here, confused.

"PRECISELY!" Dusty responded, grinning here. "THAT is the key to our crime! The one who intended to commit murder that day was NOT in fact Ms. Tyresworth! It WAS in fact… Jack Rotor!" Stunned silence gripped the court now as all eyes were on Dusty. "Jack Rotor had had enough. After five humiliating years, he wanted out of his blackmail! But how could he do that? He'd risk going to jail if he came out about what happened so… driven to desperation… he decided to kill you!" He fixed his gaze on Tyresworth now, lashing his wing at her as he bobbled on his pontoons and managed to point it right at her. "But like all criminals intending to commit murder, he needed to not get caught, so HOW did he do this? He drugged his co-star, removing him from the picture for several hours. I'm willing to bet Jack hated playing villains and secondary roles, and so he'd set up the plane who was the current star at the studio: Ripslinger! He disguised himself to look exactly like my client that day, so that when Tyresworth was killed, his co-star would take the blame and he'd get off scot-free! Then he'd be the one getting the leading roles again with both Tyresworth AND Rip out of the picture! So he grabbed the Super Sonic Spear and limped his way over to Studio Two to fool the camera into thinking it was Rip heading that way. But something went wrong… as Jack limped his way up the ramp, you Ms. Tyresworth were standing outside… NOT eating your lunch. Whether on a smoke break or what, I don't know, but you WERENT eating your lunch! Oh Jack had you now! The fire blazed in his eyes as he made his way towards you, telling you he'd kill you for all the years you'd humiliated him! A struggle broke out! Jack found himself unable to maneuver fully thanks to the narrow platform and the fact his landing gear was bent. You fought back as best you could, and managed to ram yourself into him. He wobbled, losing his balance and then, to your horror… Jack Rotor plummeted off the platform and fell onto the fence… just like Manuel did five years ago. And that… is EXACTLY what happened at Global Studios!"

The courtroom was silent, mesmerized by how well Dusty spoke. The first to break the silence was Blackthorn. "But… er… literary license aside… that would mean… that the killing… wasn't murder… it was…"

"Self-defense. Carslaughter… or in this place… planeslaughter. Unintentional killing." Dusty finished.

Tyresworth said nothing at first, merely calmly gazing out at the court. She finally sighed, and closed her eyes. "It's true…" was all she said, barely audible.

"WHAT?" Blackthorn asked in shock. "You're confessing?"

"Yes… I'm confessing." Tyresworth conceded. "I'm just glad it's finally over. I killed Jack Rotor… but I did it because he was going to kill me… I DIDN'T know he would fall. I rammed him like you said… but only to get him off me! I didn't… realize he'd fall… I figured too many questions would be asked if he was found dead in his Ripslinger paint scheme… I figured the police would be too suspicious if I merely claimed self-defense and he died looking like his co-star. So yes… I had to conceal the truth. If I didn't…"

"Then they'd look into why Jack had attacked you in the first place… and your blackmail would be made known." Dusty concluded softly. "But… you can't go to jail for justifiable homicide… at least… I don't think so…"

"She has other charges she must face… no question about that…" Blackthorn added.

"So she does." Dusty stated.

"Well! What a miracle you've pulled off, Mr. Crophopper!" Judge Spinner praised. "Remarkable deductive reasoning!"

"It wasn't a miracle, your honor." Blackthorn scoffed. "It was only natural that Ripslinger would be found innocent under these circumstances. Ahem… with that being said I…" Dusty looked at the Maserati here. "I… what are you looking at?" he snapped.

"Oh! Sorry!" Dusty looked away.

"The state wishes to dismiss all charges on Ripslinger." Blackthorn conceded, looking like he was going numb.

"YES!" Rip declared. "You did it, Duster!"

Cheers erupted from the court as cars began wildly celebrating, blaring their horns and talking all at once as a great flood of them began to head for the exit now. "Hey!" Dusty moved up to Tyresworth. "Are we square? I got you off the hook there… self-defense you won't serve any jail time for… and you won't be executed for either… are we square? I don't have to like… worry about a mafia hit team coming to kill me in my sleep, right?"

"Heheh… no… we're square." Tyresworth stated. "I suppose I owe you that much."

"Thanks." Dusty responded, relieved as he began to be swept along to the doors now. The next several minutes were a blur. He answered questions as best he could, was blinded by the flash of bulbs, and finally, by the next time he was even aware of his surroundings, Rip was standing in front of him, the chaos and clutter fading around him as it all became clear.

"Hey! Duster! I uh… I don't know how to… uh… how to uh… you know…" Rip stammered.

"A thank you is fine, Rip." Dusty said, eyes focusing as he offered him a smile.

"Yeah-yeah, well… thanks, OK? I… I owe you my life. Not sure I can… repay that… ever…"

"No repayment necessary." Dusty smiled. "Only about $62,000 in legal fees." He joked here, laughing.

"Ha! Yeah! But you know… uh… Crophopper… I feel bad for Jack. I mean… I had no idea that's what he was going through! I mean… if it were me… what would I do in his place? He had nobody to turn to and… and if he had just told me… I would've… I would've swapped roles with him on our next show…"

"No you wouldn't have." Dusty chuckled, smiling.

"Yeah OK… probably not but… NOW I would have…" Rip stated.

"So what are you going to do now? Global Studios is down a producer and… you have a lot of fans Rip. A lot of fans. Cody Cavalier is just one of them." Dusty reminded Rip.

"Yeah… yeah I guess so. Well… Riptide's gonna have to be canceled but… I dunno. Maybe I could take over production at the studios… make something else?" he suggested.

Dusty smiled. "I think that sounds like a great idea! But NO Crusty Windchaser this time!" Dusty chided.

"Heheh… yeah… yeah I hear that." Rip smirked. "Buy ya lunch?" he offered again.

"Sure!" Dusty agreed, but a revving engine behind him caused him to turn. It was him…

"Crophopper…" Blackthorn began.

"Blackthorn!" Dusty responded. "You were WONDERFUL in there! I KNEW the old you existed! Without you… I NEVER would've solved this case. We worked TOGETHER to find the truth! That's what volo pro veritas is! We fly for truth! THAT'S what matters in trials! We did it as a team! So thank you! I'm SO happy that-"

But Blackthorn cut him off. "I never expected to see you again. EVER. Seeing you now it… it's only creating unnecessary feelings of unease and uncertainty within me. I have NEVER lost a trial before, Crophopper… never. I… feel humiliated and… I just don't know, all right? I never wanted to see you again! So from now on… if I EVER see your face in front of me after today… you'll regret it… do you understand me?" He turned now, and began to drive off without waiting for an answer.

"Wait! Blackthorn, wait!" Dusty exclaimed, panicking as he rolled after him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to humiliate you! I just… I wanted to help you! I wanted to repay you for what you did for me years ago! Please! Don't be upset!"

"Well you should've stayed away…" Blackthorn replied, stopping now. "My perfect record is in ruins! I want you to respect my wishes… STAY AWAY from me!"

"But… but I just… no! That car is still inside of you, Blackthorn, I KNOW he is! I saw him today! You ARE you! The Blackthorn that I remember! You were my BEST friend… don't turn your back on that… don't… I saw it… today I saw it! Please! Don't do this! Don't turn your back on it… it's who are you…" Dusty pleaded.

"No…" Blackthorn turned to face him now, regret and pain deep within his eyes. "That car you knew died years ago Crophopper… it's not me anymore. Stay away…" Turning now, he drove off, and Dusty made no move to stop him.

Dusty was left alone, despite the crowd. As the Maserati disappeared amid the sea of cars, Dusty's lip trembled, his eyes gazed emptily ahead of him, and his wings shook. "I'm sorry…" he whispered, closing his eyes and slumping. He could feel tears running down body, and he couldn't stop them. "I'm sorry I failed you…"


	7. Chapter 7: Reminiscences and Revenge

Dusty lined himself up with Propwash Junction's runway, preparing to return home after the successful conclusion of State vs. Ripslinger. The whole town was lined up along the runway to see him home this time, all cheering, honking, and waving if they could. Despite the turnout, Dusty wasn't feeling his best. The end of the trial had left him feeling deflated, even though he'd won. He had completely failed in his quest to turn Blackthorn around, and if anything, had driven the Maserati away even further from him.

Touching down, the firefighter was surrounded by denizens of all shapes and sizes, all congratulating him and telling him what a great job he'd done. But his mind was elsewhere now… sure they'd all watched him go all in on TV, but it just wasn't sitting well with him. Skipper was the first one to notice, concern flooding his features as he saw Dusty giving them strained smiles, his eyes listless and distant.

"Uhh… Dusty? Is everything OK?" Skipper asked.

"Hey Skip… well… not… really." Dusty replied softly.

"But you did great! You cleared Rip and performed the impossible in my opinion! I mean who ELSE could've done that?" Skipper asked sternly.

"Well… I also failed to show Blackthorn volo pro veritas… well I DID show it to him, as you probably saw but… he told me… I can't talk right now…" Dusty said heavily, shaking his front a bit here.

"Aw, what's this now? Something with Blackthorn again? You know I never did hear your past with him." Skipper commented.

"Maybe later… I'm kinda getting mobbed now." Dusty replied, as practically everyone offered to buy him a drink tonight at Honkers. Pushing his way past them, he thanked them as best he could, and made for his hanger. Skipper followed, trying to urge everyone to just back off and give the firefighter some space.

"OK Dusty… what's wrong?" Skipper asked, narrowing his eyes as he closed the hanger doors behind him.

"I uh… well I… I failed, Skip. I failed you… I failed me… and I failed Blackthorn…"

"Looked like you did a pretty good job to me." Skipper replied, eyes still narrowed. "He was tag-teaming with you there in the trial! You BOTH got that verdict!"

"Yeah… but afterwards he approached me… said he never wanted to see me again, and that I should stay away from him. I was creating 'unnecessary feelings' within him, as he put it, and he… he said… the car I knew died years ago… and that it wasn't him anymore. But he's just denying it! Why? WHY won't he face the truth? That's who he is… I SAW it! He can't… deny something like that!"

Skipper finally softened here, his face falling a bit. "I see… so he's denying what you showed him… what you brought out in him. He doesn't want to go back… any idea why?"

"He suffered a family tragedy a long time ago… when he was a kid. I never found out what it was but… I'm willing to bet it has to do with that. But still… I thought I could cut through that and bring him back to the way he was… I guess… I guess I was wrong…" Dusty stated bitterly.

"No, no, no… stop that!" Skipper ordered, moving beside him now. "You didn't fail… Dusty you… you can't change some people…"

"I guess not…" Dusty replied, hints of sarcasm dripping through. Skipper frowned at this.

"Hey… stop that. What good is feeling like you failed going to do?"

"Weren't you crushed when you lost your squadron?" Dusty asked here, still in a bitter tone.

"Hey! Those were lives, Dusty! You saved one today! You did good! Just what does this Blackthorn fellow mean to you, anyway?" Skipper asked. "Why's he so special?"

"Heh… he stood up for me when no one else did… well… there was one other but… he was the first." Dusty stated now. "It was a long time ago… way back in elementary school… before I was a crop duster… it was… I remember it clear as day… Blackthorn and I were classmates, but we never had talked before that day. That was the day… someone stole Blackthorn's lunch money…" Dusty trailed off here.

"Uhhh… lunch money?" Skipper asked here, as if wasn't a big deal.

"Hey! It was 38 dollars! That's a LOT to a kid! That's practically 200 bucks!" Dusty corrected. "Anyway… let me tell the story…"

* * *

The young planes and cars were all hooting and jeering, shoving Dusty to the front of the room. "It was his fault!" "He did!" "Let's put him on trial!" "Yeah! Suspend him!" "Expel him!" "That plane's a thief!" "Make him pay!"

"I… I didn't do it!" the young orange and white plane protested. "Guys stop! Stop! Stop!" he began sobbing, backing away from them as they pushed him in front of the whiteboard. "I didn't steal his money!"

"Come on, Crophopper! You did it!" one student shouted. "You're guilty!"

"Yeah! I bet he'll do it again too!"

"He's the only one who missed gym yesterday! It HAD to be him!"

"Yeah! He wasn't there! He's the only one! He did it!"

"I had a cold, guys! I still do! That's why I couldn't go to gym!" Dusty's eyes were watery, his nose was plugged, and he felt terrible. The fact his entire class was shouting at him didn't help either. He wanted to curl up and hide, but he couldn't go anywhere. He was trapped… trapped amid the jeering mass of students.

Finally, he could see the teacher approaching him. "Dusty!" she exclaimed, shaking her head at him. "Did you do this?"

"Of course he did! He missed gym Mrs. Schwartz! He did it!" one student shouted.

"Dusty… what do you have to say for yourself?" Mrs. Schwartz asked. "Did you steal Simon's money? If you did, you should apologize and give it back."

"But I… I…" Dusty stammered, sneezing as he started crying. He couldn't even answer; he felt miserable from his cold and his throat was closing up now as all he could do was cry.

"Dusty… apologize!" Mrs. Schwartz was sterner now, beginning to lose her patience. The whole class was saying he did it so… "Apologize right now for what you did!"

"No!" Suddenly, a small black car zoomed in front of him, shielding him from his class and the teacher. "Stop it! He shouldn't have to apologize!" Simon Blackthorn was standing between Dusty and his class now, keeping him safe as the entire class stared at him.

"But Simon!" one classmate said.

"But what? There's no proof at all he did this! My dad's a defense attorney, and he'd NEVER stand for something like this without proof, and neither will I! Back off! You can't prove a thing that he did this!" Blackthorn shouted, glaring at all of them.

Dusty blinked, hiccupping as he looked up, seeing the brave black car standing between him and the others… protecting him… keeping him safe from harm… "Simon?" Dusty asked.

Blackthorn looked behind him now. "It's not right what they're doing to you! They don't have any proof, and my dad says proof is the only thing that matters in trials! I can't let them do this to you! Get up, Dusty! You aren't guilty of anything until proven so! Now get up! On your wheels! Stand up!" Blackthorn urged.

Dusty's lip trembled, and he started to smile as he shakily tried to get up and stand taller. The way Blackthorn stood in front of him… he felt safe, and reassured that he was innocent. Suddenly, another car came forward as well.

"Yeah you dweebs! What's your problem?" this second car asked. It was Larry Fenders, the class troublemaker. "You guys are just ganging up on him! You're not even considering how he feels! Look at him! He's a wreck! Back off!"

"Mrs. Schwartz, Dusty shouldn't have to apologize! There's no proof he took my money, and I don't think he did it!" Blackthorn insisted. "Let him go!"

"Are you sure, Simon?" the teacher asked.

"Yes! I'm not blaming him!" Blackthorn stated defiantly.

"Well Simon that's… rather nice of you." Mrs. Schwartz said. "I'll try to replace the money that was stolen." She offered.

"Thanks…" Blackthorn turned back to Dusty now, and smiled. "Hey… you OK? I know we haven't really talked before but… I'm Simon. And you're Dusty, right?"

"Yeah…" Dusty replied, still smiling, in disbelief at what had happened as he wobbly stood on his wheels.

"Hey… I notice you sit by yourself a lot at lunch… would you maybe want to sit with me instead?" Blackthorn suggested.

Dusty brightened up at this, blinking away his tears now. "Sure! I'd like that! Um… why did you help me?" he asked here, confused.

"Because one day, when I grow up, I'm going to be just like dad, who's a defense attorney. My dad's amazing! He believes everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, and he doesn't need a reason to help others, he just does. I want to be just like him someday… so I'm practicing now." Blackthorn explained with a small smile. "I love my dad… and he wouldn't have let the class bully you like that… so neither will I."

Dusty's mouth was open, a wide smile on his face as he gazed at Blackthorn. "Wow… that's really cool! Thanks! I… I don't know how to say it any other way! Thank you, Simon!"

* * *

Dusty was back in the hanger now, his memory having faded. "From that point on… we were inseparable. Me, Larry, and Blackthorn. We were best friends. We ate lunch together, we played together on the playground… that feeling I felt… of being so alone… of having no one to help me… and then he did… he stood up for me when no one else would… he believed in me when no one else would… that feeling… I never forgot it. I knew how alone and vulnerable I felt… I promised myself no one should ever have to feel that way if I could help it. That's why I saved Bulldog in Germany… that's why I believe in being nice and to help others… because of him." Dusty explained.

"You see… Blackthorn always talked about his father… it was kind of repetitive at first… but I always tolerated it. He was my best friend… well for a year at least…" Dusty said, voice dropping now as he gazed down at the floor. "And then… that changed…"

Skipper listened silently, a contemplative and softer expression on his face here. "What happened?"

"One day, he didn't come in to class… and he didn't come in the next day… or the next day… or the day after that. He didn't come in ever again… social workers came in to explain that there'd been a terrible tragedy in his family… and that was the last I ever heard of Simon Blackthorn… until now, when I asked you to look for him. I never forgot what he showed me that day… and now I'm wondering what went so horribly long in his life as to change him. What was this family tragedy? Did something happen to his father? You know it's weird… he idolized his father… but I idolized him." Dusty stated now, regretfully looking off into the distance.

"That's why I wanted to help him… to repay him… to… give him what I never could back then. And now he's just someone else entirely… a different car… someone I don't recognize."

"But you said he's still in there." Skipper replied now. "So that's the mystery of Blackthorn…"

"Only the surface… I still don't know what changed him. Our time together was all too brief… I just want my friend back…" Dusty said, closing his eyes.

"Maybe there's still a way you can help him…" Skipper suggested.

"He wants me to stay away from him… how can I help him?" Dusty asked.

"Well… I'm just saying… maybe an opportunity will present itself… I mean you can't stay away forever. Eventually you'll have to go back…" Skipper suggested.

"Maybe…" Dusty sighed, not sounding like he believed it.

Skipper pursed his lips here, trying to think of something to cheer his friend up. "Hey… why not come down to Honkers tonight and celebrate? You saved Ripslinger at least… that's something. And something I'm proud of you for too." Skipper stated adamantly.

"All right… I guess I could show up." Dusty said with disinterest.

"I insist… I'll cheer you up if it kills me." Skipper said with determination.

"All right, all right. I'll give in and go." The firefighter sighed. "It'll be… fun I guess."

"I'll make it worth your while." Skipper responded, then finally headed back to the hanger doors and opened them. "Take care of yourself, Dusty. Thanks for explaining to me just why Blackthorn means so much to you. I get it now…"

* * *

Dusty rolled into the restaurant later that night, the music already turned up from the jukebox and playing a country tune that belted out as serving forklifts moved about with orders and drinks. "Hey Dusty!" came the calls from the patrons, who began clamoring to buy him drinks.

"OK! OK!" Dusty shooed them off. "I can get my own drink… thanks." He replied, smiling at them as he made his way in. Where was Skipper? The Corsair was conspicuously absent, causing Dusty to wonder about this. He invites me out and doesn't even show up? Just then, the current song ended, and some funkier dance beat from the 80s came on, and in rolled Sparky.

"Ladies and gentlecars! Pickup trucks, planes, cars of all sizes… may I present… the greatest show never seen!" Sparky announced, smiling as he moved aside now.

"What?" Dusty asked chuckling a bit and then his eyes practically popped out of his head as Skipper rounded the corner and entered the restaurant, decked out in a hula skirt with his wings folded up and some coconuts on his undercarriage, below his wings. "What?" Dusty asked again, grinning here as he began laughing.

"Well! Since it seemed I needed to resort to a desperate strategy to rally my best soldier, here it is! A little something I picked up in the Pacific during the time I was stationed out there! So without further ado… let's get this show on the road, shall we?" He asked, beginning to sway his tail left and right to the music as it had this tropic undertone to it, which oddly seemed to fit, in spite of how bizarre it was. Dusty couldn't help but laugh at the display as Skipper danced as best he could, looking awfully ridiculous though the old Corsair took it in stride, smiling goofily and looking up at the ceiling, and yeah… Dusty had to admit… he really did look like a hula dancer.

"Down on The Corner" by Creedence Clearwater Revival came on next, which was a good song to step to, and Dusty bounced a bit in time to the music, tapping one of his pontoons as Skipper slid to the side and back again. "Haha! Well ladies, whaddya think?" Skipper asked, turning around using his right landing gear in a bobbing fashion. "Not bad for an old vet, eh?"

Dusty laughed again, shaking his front in disbelief at this. Skipper began to head over to Dusty now, winding down from his dance as he let his tongue hang out in a fake pant of exhaustion. "Well! What did you think? Hopefully enough to cheer you up! Did I succeed?" he asked, rolling up to the table.

"Haha! Yeah! You succeeded… I mean you REALLY subjected yourself to that?" Dusty asked.

"Subjected myself to what? A good time amongst friends?" Skipper asked, smiling.

"You KNOW they're gonna want to see this routine again though, right?" Dusty asked with a smile.

"Heheh… yeah probably, but I don't do encores. This was a one off thing…" Skipper replied.

"Yeah right…" Dusty joked, raising his brows. "I don't think so… I think the pressure will be too great for a repeat performance." He chuckled.

"Oh dear… maybe I HAVE opened up a can of beans, huh?" Skipper asked, but didn't sound too worried about it.

"Heheh… you have… anyway… I think someone needs to buy YOU a drink… and it may as well be me!" Dusty admitted here.

"All right… just this once." Skipper considered with mock seriousness before winking.

"Thanks Skip… I appreciated this… unusual effort." Dusty told him, flagging a server down.

"Well let's just enjoy what's left of the evening shall we? Then we'll push it completely from our minds, heheh."

"So we shall…" Dusty agreed, ordering drinks for the both of them now as the night continued…

**Two Months Later: Christmas Eve**

It was Christmas Eve in Propwash Junction. Two months had passed since State vs. Ripslinger, and Dusty had been back to the races, racing once in November before returning to his life as Propwash Junction's SEAT. He'd mostly moved on, though there were days he still thought about Blackthorn, and what he could do. Finally, as Christmas approached, he'd sent an invite to the prosecutor, inviting him out to the small town for the holidays. He figured he had no family to spend it with, but as the night drew on, there was still no sign of him. Propwash Junction was socked in with snow, but its airport had been plowed and kept open at least.

Festive and colorful red and green lights adorned the town, and everyone was at Honkers, staying up until midnight to ring in the holiday. Skipper wanted to wait for midnight because he liked exchanging presents then, and so too ironically did Dusty. While the snow piled up in drifts outside, everyone stayed warm inside the restaurant.

"So, you think he's gonna show up?" Miles asked Dusty as he stood around the firefighter's table with Mayday and Skipper.

"I dunno… I invited him… I hope so." Dusty commented. "I mean… if my hunch is correct… he has no family to spend Christmas with… so I want to provide him an opportunity to do so here… among our community."

"Awfully nice of you, Dusty." Skipper put in. "Oh! Only one minute to go! Let's raise a toast!" the Corsair said hurriedly. "To great friends… amazing family… and the best community a plane could ask for."

"Cheers!" the other three concurred, clinking glasses as midnight struck and shouts of "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" rang out throughout the restaurant. Everyone drank their own toasts, wished each other happy holidays, and kept up the jolly conversation well into the night… but for one particular car, the holidays would be anything but merry…

* * *

Out on lake somewhere in California, tendrils of mist curled over the languid waters, looking for all the world like ghostly fingers as they drifted around the solitary boat that sat in the middle of the lake, enshrouding the boat and reducing visibility considerably. Two cars stood in said boat, facing each other, their black forms silhouetted in the mist. "It's been what? 15 years?" one asked.

"About that, yes." The second one replied.

"15 years is a long time to wait… you can't imagine how I've suffered." The first one stated.

"You… suffered?" the second one asked.

"And now… the perfect opportunity presents itself!" A click as the first one drew a gun. "At last… I shall have my revenge!"

"What?" the second one exclaimed, shock passing over him as he realized he had a gun pointed at him. Somewhere far off in the distance, barely audible, a clock's bells chimed midnight…

"Merry Christmas…" Two shots rang out over the otherwise silent lake, and one of the two cars lurched violently backward, toppling off the boat and into the lake, the waters erupting with a geyser as the remaining car was left alone… and as the mists cleared, the shocked face of Simon Blackthorn could be seen, looking down as he held a gun in his right hubcap, a look of utter surprise on his face as he could hardly believe what had just occurred…


	8. Chapter 8: An Airtight Case

Dusty cracked his eyes open, the bright light reflecting off the snow outside causing him to squint and he only slowly managed to pry his eyes open. The lights hanging from the mini Christmas tree in his hanger blinked in their never-ending pattern that played off his walls and caused him smile as he remembered what day it was.

As he yawned, he could hear the sounds of a tune drifting over to him, though it sounded like Skipper was singing something. Outside his window, he could in fact see Skipper bobbing his way left and right towards the hanger, and Dusty smiled to himself as shook his body to get the blanket off of him, and headed over to his door to open it up to greet the Corsair.

"It's hard to say what it is I see in you

Wonder if I'll always be with you

But words can't say, and I can't do

Enough to prove it's all for youuu!"

Dusty chuckled a bit as he pushed his doors back, grinning as Skipper bobbed his way up to the door. "Morning, Dusty! Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Skip!" Dusty responded.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Skipper asked, gazing out over the endless sea of white that covered Propwash Junction under about a foot of snow.

"Sure is!" Dusty confirmed, taking a moment to admire the snow with his mentor.

"Are you up for a cup of hot cocoa at Dottie's? She's brewing a pot, so I figured I'd come and ask you." Skipper informed Dusty.

"Oh that'd be great!" Dusty chimed in eagerly. "Let's do it!" He rolled out of his hanger and shut the door behind him to keep the heat in. Joining Skipper on the plowed road, the two planes made their way over to the Fill 'N Fly. "Who were you singing about earlier?" Dusty asked with a chuckle.

"Oh no one… just a song I heard on the radio this morning." Skipper commented nonchalantly. Due to the snow, they had to travel single-file to Dottie's but arrived without incident or mishap.

"Merry Christmas, Dottie!" Dusty exclaimed as he wheeled into her shop. "I heard you're brewing cocoa!"

"Sure am! Merry Christmas you two." She greeted in return. Dusty noticed she had her TV on, but the sound was turned way down. The morning news was on, but they were doing the local stuff first before moving on to national news. "Here you are!" She passed Dusty a mug, and the firefighter gratefully inhaled the chocolaty aroma before blowing on it and taking a sip. "Hoo! That's a little hot!" he exclaimed.

"Soooo… your prosecutor never showed up, did he?" Dottie asked.

"No…" Dusty replied, looking down into the mug at his reflection.

"I think I might know why…" Skipper stated, nodding up at the TV as Blackthorn was shown being ushered into a police van.

"Huh? Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Turn that up! Turn that up!" Dusty ordered, and Dottie sighed as she fumbled for her remote.

"Hold on!" She finally managed to get the volume up, and the shop fell silent save for the voices on the TV.

"And it seems tragedy has struck at Cord Lake this Christmas. Police are saying that the body of 48-year-old defense attorney Robert Firestone has been dredged out of the lake this morning. Police confirm Firestone was shot to death last night shortly before midnight, and in perhaps a most bizarre twist, are claiming that the shooter is 25-year-old District Attorney Simon Blackthorn."

"WHAT?" Dusty exclaimed, eyes widening as he almost dropped his mug. Shots of Firestone's body being lifted by a crane on a raft out of the water were shown now, the defense attorney covered with plants and ferns. "I don't believe this!"

"In an even more bizarre twist, Blackthorn's mentor of the past several years, legendary prosecutor Manfred von Karswerth, has announced this morning that he will be prosecuting the case of his former protégé. Von Karswerth hasn't had a case in over a year. As senior prosecutor on the circuit, von Karswerth has first pick of any cases that come to his office, but has reportedly been handing them all off to his protégé as of late. We go live now to the Los Angeles District Courthouse for a comment from von Karswerth."

An older but very dignified looking dark blue Maybach Zeppelin stood on the courthouse steps, microphones surrounding him as he gave off what Dusty could only interpret was a sneering look at the cameras. He could certainly see where Blackthorn got some of his mannerisms from. "Well tragic as this is…" von Karswerth began. "The evidence is overwhelming that my young protégé, Simon Blackthorn, committed this crime, and I intend to prove it in court. You see, while he was the brightest star I ever trained, the facts don't lie. I do this only extremely reluctantly and with a heavy heart, but do it I must. It is my solemn duty as a prosecutor representing the State of California that I must see the law through to the end! I am heart-broken that my young protégé has chosen this path… but ANYONE can be a criminal… ANYONE." He stated, looking darkly at the cameras now.

"Mr. von Karswerth! You have a perfect, unbroken record of 49 wins in your entire career! You've been almost retired as of late it seems… why the sudden emergence from your secluded life?" a reporter asked.

"Well this case hit me quite close to home you see…" His face fell here, a sad look crossing his features. "Tragic though this is… justice MUST be served for the death of Mr. Firestone! I decided I would go out with a bang… my 50th career win before I retire permanently. It'll be one to watch, I'm sure." He smiled thinly again here.

"No prosecutor even comes close to you in terms of your record of wins! You've NEVER been defeated in your entire career! What's the secret to your success?" another reporter asked now.

"If I told you that, there wouldn't be much of a success story to tell, would there?" von Karswerth responded with a smirk.

"Mr. von Karswerth… it seems you won't have an opponent in this trial… not a single defense attorney has agreed to defend Simon Blackthorn on this one. Does your reputation precede you?" was the next question.

Another smirk from von Karswerth here. "Well I think that might have something to do with it… still… if no one agrees to defend poor Blackthorn, then the public defender will have to do so… and we all know how good HE does." Von Karswerth chuckled here in a sound that made Dusty sick. "Now please, no more questions… I need to go prepare my case… you understand." He turned away now, and began driving back up to the courthouse.

"That was legendary prosecutor and former District Attorney Manfred von Karswerth from the steps of the Los Angeles District Court." The reporter originally speaking came back on now. "He mentioned that as of yet, no defense attorney has stepped up to defend Simon Blackthorn. Rumors are rife, but perhaps the simplest explanation is the truest: with Blackthorn's until recently undefeated record, he's crushed every defense attorney on the circuit, so perhaps some bitter feelings linger regarding that… and of course, there's the matter of von Karswerth's perfect record. No defense attorney would want to risk taking him on in court, especially over a client they must universally despise."

Dusty felt his heart sinking here… and this time, he nearly lost his mug before Skipper steadied it. "I don't believe this… I don't… believe this…" Dusty kept repeating under his breath over and over again.

"Dusty I… I'm sorry…"

"No… I DON'T believe this!" Dusty said louder now. "As in it can't be true! Blackthorn shot and killed someone? NO way! It's not true! Something happened… something went wrong… he's not a murderer! Something's not right about this! I… I need to go see him!"

"Whoa! Wait up, Dusty! What are you doing?" Skipper asked, blocking him.

"What do you think? I'm going to help him! He's got no one! You heard the reports! There isn't an attorney out there who'll take his case!"

"Yeah, and what do you expect to do against that German fellow? Beat him and break his unbroken record?" Skipper asked skeptically.

"I have to try!" Dusty said impulsively. "Blackthorn wouldn't do this! I mean what am I supposed to do? Let some minimum wage public defender do it? He has NO incentive to win! But I do! I'm defending my old friend!" Dusty defiantly stated.

"Hold on Dusty! I'm not letting you go out there without back up this time! Your motor's running at a million revolutions a minute here, and you aren't thinking this through! Calm down and think about this! You're gonna need a wingman out there! Two heads are better than one, right? Look I get it… I do, OK? You want to help him… he's got no one in the world willing to do so… this is your big chance, yeah I get all that… but alone? You won't be walking away from this one like you did the last one. The odds seem almost insurmountable here so… I'm going with you!" Skipper insisted.

Dusty finally started to calm down, his breathing slowing. "Well… OK… you're right. I'm gonna need backup out there. But I have to go NOW Skip! I'm already a day behind on this one! The police are gathering everything up, and the longer I wait, the more they're gonna have against him!"

"OK just don't rush! Haste makes waste, Dusty. You gotta get Mayday's permission to go first… remember your job? Your REAL job?" Skipper asked, raising his brows.

"Oh… right… of course." Dusty conceded, feeling bad that he'd almost raced out of here without even telling his boss.

"Now I'm sure he'll give you the time but… go ask him first. I'll get ready to leave…"

"Right… sorry, Skip. I just…"

"Let your emotions get the better of you, yes I know." Skipper finished the sentence for him.

About 15 minutes later, the two planes were roaring down the runway and wheeling west towards Los Angeles. Mayday had of course given Dusty the time off, and it was now up to the two of them as they set their course and headed away from the rising sun.

* * *

The detention center was the same dreary place Dusty remembered it as. He once again felt that imprisoned feeling moving through the halls here. He could only picture Blackthorn being alone in a place like this… and it unsettled him to say the least. As he approached the visitor's area, Dusty turned to Skipper. "Hey Skip… just give me a few minutes with him." Nodding, Skipper let Dusty go on his own.

Rolling up to the bulletproof glass, Dusty was greeted by a glaring Blackthorn. "I see you ignored my request." Blackthorn stated icily.

"Yeah… well I didn't have much choice. Nor do you, the way I see it." Dusty replied.

"You are NOT the plane I want to see right now." Blackthorn told him coldly.

"Well… who would you like to see?" Dusty asked sarcastically. "You don't seem to have many friends in this town, at least not among defense attorneys."

"And that's a shock to you?" Blackthorn replied, equally sarcastically.

"Look, Blackthorn, I'm here to help you, OK? I'll take your case… I think I can do it."

"I don't want your help." Blackthorn replied simply, looking away from him here.

"What? So what? You'll go with the public defender?"

"If that's what it takes…" Blackthorn trailed off, still not looking at him here.

"What? What is your problem? I mean what did I DO to you?" Dusty snapped, losing his temper here. "You'd rather go with a guy who has no incentive to defend you than ME? Your former BEST friend? The one you said multiple times you'd always be friends with? What the hell is the matter with you?"

"None of your damn business, Crophopper! I said I didn't want your help! And you can't take my case if I refuse your assistance!"

Dusty could hardly believe what he was hearing. His mouth fell open, and he gave Blackthorn an incredulous look before his face hardened. "You know what? FINE! I don't care! Get convicted! If you're too stupid or prideful or whatever it is to accept my help then fine! I don't even know why I offered to help you in the first place!" Dusty snapped, backing away now, his propeller spinning angrily as he began to head away from the window. Blinking away some tears, Dusty stormed out of the room, but as the doors closed, Blackthorn's face softened, and he sighed now, closing his eyes in regret.

"I'm sorry… Crophopper… I just don't want you getting involved in this…" he whispered to himself.

Storming out of the room, Dusty almost collided with Skipper. "Dusty!" Skipper chided. "What was that?"

"I don't know! He doesn't want my help! So fine! I'm going home!"

But Skipper spread his wings out and blocked Dusty's path. "Dusty… you lost your temper because you LET him push your buttons. Are you going to give up on him that easily? Do you REALLY want him to get convicted… remember the classroom… remember how he protected you…"

Dusty paused here, flashing back to it now… all those times on the playground as they laughed and chased each other and pretended to be soldiers inside the play fort… and now… that memory would die permanently if Blackthorn did… and Dusty just knew that. Sighing, he regained his senses. "No… you're right… I can't just give up. Dammit! Ugh! You're right! I'm not giving up on him that easily!"

"Good… now let's start looking into things. I know the trial is tomorrow and we don't have much time, but let's start with the victim and who he was. Let's find out where he worked, and ask his co-workers and his boss about him, OK? Gotta start somewhere after all, and we don't have enough time to get out to the lake… though by now, the police have probably picked it clean anyway."

"Right… let's start there then." Dusty agreed.

"Keep your head straight, wingman! We're gonna do this!" Skipper gave Dusty a playful slap with his wing, and the two turned to leave the detention center.

* * *

The two planes found themselves sitting in the waiting room of the Crosswind Law Offices, having managed to get an appointment with the head attorney here, Marvin Crosswind. They'd found out from the police that Firestone had been employed here, and had headed right over. Detective Crawford had been devastated to have to arrest Blackthorn last night, and was the only police officer who believed in Blackthorn's innocence. He was willing to help Dusty on this case in any way he could, and was going to provide the autopsy report for him later on.

A helicopter came out of the office now, yawning a bit s he gazed at them from behind some spectacles. "Gentleplanes… I'm Marvin Crosswind, the owner of this office. What can I assist you with?"

"Hello, Mr. Crosswind. I'm Dusty Crophopper… Blackthorn's… lawyer…." He said hesitantly here, knowing he was lying.

"Oh! He managed to get someone after all, did he?" Crosswind asked. "Don't think I've heard of you, Crophopper… oh wait! Aren't you a racer?"

"Well… during the racing season sure." Dusty lied again. "Anyway… I'd like to ask you about your former employee, Robert Firestone."

"Very tragic, and very shocking, yes." Crosswind replied sadly.

"Um… did he have any connection to my client?" Dusty asked here.

"I should think so! Firestone was the lead defense attorney on the DC-6 Case." Crosswind answered.

"DC-6?" Dusty asked, confused.

"It's a case file number… but you haven't heard of it?" the helicopter asked skeptically.

"Um… I'm afraid not. I'm kinda new to my profession, let's just say… sorry." Dusty apologized here.

"Hmmm… well if you aren't familiar with it… that was the case concerning the murder of your very client's father." Crosswind stated here, causing Dusty to gasp.

"My client's… Blackthorn's father was murdered?" Dusty asked incredulously. "That explains a lot!"

"Uh… I suppose it does." Crosswind conceded here, not sure what he meant. "Anyway, Robert Firestone was the defense attorney who defended the accused in that crime." The helicopter explained.

"I see now! And who won?"

"Firestone did." Crosswind explained. "Our client was declared not guilty, and that murder was sadly to say, never solved."

"Wait… who was the client?" Dusty asked here.

"You understand I'm afraid I can't discuss his details with you. That's confidential and he's been living his life peacefully and away from those wishing to accuse him further… out of respect for his privacy, I can't divulge any information about him." Crosswind blocked Dusty's attempt to find out more here rather fluidly.

"Oh… right. Um… could you give me some details about the case then?" Dusty asked.

"Certainly. It occurred at the Los Angeles District Court, ironically enough, and the victim was found shot inside the building… there were really only two people who could've done it but… one was found innocent, and the other was never accused. I'm afraid I can't go into more details than that."

"You sound like you think you know who did it." Dusty stated here.

"I can't comment on that, I'm sorry." Crosswind said again. "There was some… bizarre evidence in that case though… or lack thereof. It was never solved, you understand. We still haven't been able to find a key piece of evidence in it either… so I'm afraid it could remain unsolved indefinitely… given that the statute of limitations expires on it in a mere three days."

"Oh…" Dusty said, unsure what that meant, but he thought it meant the case could never be reopened after a certain point in time. If so, that was a heck of coincidence.

"You see though… Robert Firestone got our client acquitted… the car who was accused of murdering your client's father… you can see why your client would have motive to murder my employee now, don't you Mr. Crophopper?" Crosswind asked suggestively here.

"Uhhh… yes… I… suppose so." Dusty said. He still didn't believe Blackthorn would suddenly murder someone from his past 15 years later though… motive or no motive. "Anyway! Thank you for your time, Mr. Crosswind! It's helped…" I hope, Dusty didn't add. Crosswind nodded, gave them a terse smile, and went back into his office now. "Sorry for interrupting your Christmas!" the firefighter called after him.

"The police interrupted my Christmas Mr. Crophopper… and so did your client!" Crosswind called back as he disappeared.

* * *

Back at the detention center, Dusty once again came face to face with a glaring and frowning Simon Blackthorn, who seemed in disbelief that he was once again being visited by Dusty.

"I know about DC-6." Dusty said simply, waiting for a response. Blackthorn's mouth opened a tad, and his cold demeanor melted here.

"Dammit… damn you and your persistence, Crophopper." Blackthorn whispered here. "I didn't want you finding out about that. That's why I refused your help earlier… I didn't want you finding out about my father… and my past."

"But why?" Dusty asked. "Blackthorn I'm your friend… I never stopped being your friend even after what happened. If your father was murdered… why not just tell me? I mean I'm SO sorry about that… I didn't know… but I know how much you loved him." He said softly here.

"I didn't tell you because… because there's something about that case I DON'T want you finding out, Crophopper… and I can't say any more than that." Blackthorn said.

"Blackthorn I will help you… but I need details. I need to know what happened last night and the day your father died. I'm sorry but… please… let me help you. I don't want to abandon you to this… and I think you don't want me to abandon you either." Dusty gently urged.

"Heh… yeah well… I witnessed my father's death…"

You did?" Dusty gasped.

"Yes…"

"You were the second person Crosswind mentioned… the one who was never accused…" Dusty said softly.

"Yes… my father had brought me to work that day… he let me watch his trial… but then… uh… something happened. We became trapped… three of us…" Blackthorn was being incredibly vague, but Dusty didn't exactly blame him here.

"Who was the third person?" Dusty pressed gently.

"Uhhh… a court bailiff I think. Anyway… my father and the bailiff began arguing… the bailiff was panicking... and uh… I was losing consciousness at the time but…" Blackthorn's words were choked. "Uh…" he sounded like he was about to break down in front of Dusty now. "My father was killed… the bailiff was arrested… but he was declared innocent at the trial. Uh…" But he couldn't go on here.

"Do you think he did it?" Dusty asked.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Crophopper, I'm sorry."

"Did you kill Robert Firestone?" Dusty asked point blank. Blackthorn looked right at him now.

"No… I didn't. I didn't kill him."

"Tell me what happened." Dusty continued.

"Right…" Blackthorn looked off to the side here, trying to gather himself to speak. "Um… Christmas Eve I received a letter from Firestone… saying he found new evidence in my father's case… and he wanted to set things right. He wanted to talk… and suggested we meet on Cord Lake. So I went out to meet him. It was around midnight… a little before I think. He had a boat waiting for me, and said we'd talk out on the lake. So we went out there and uh…" Blackthorn was clearly shaken up by this, his voice stuttering and rising and falling as he spoke. "Well… he mentioned something about wanting revenge… then he pulled a gun on me… and fired twice… then he fell backwards into the lake… dropping the gun into the boat. I thought he shot himself but… but the police said the angle of the bullet found in his body was fired at too great a range for suicide… ballistics indicate he was shot from at least 20 feet away… which is why I don't understand. I don't understand what happened, Crophopper. One minute he's pointing a gun at me, then next he fires, then he falls into the lake. Yet he was shot from a distance that was further than he could've held that gun…"

"Wait… 20 feet away? But that doesn't make any sense… Blackthorn are you SURE you didn't do this?' Dusty asked suspiciously.

"The police think so… so does everyone else. The evidence is overwhelming. Like an idiot, I reached down in shock and picked up the gun… so now my hubcap marks are all over that gun. The police don't believe me… and why would they? My story makes zero sense when you think about it… and there's no evidence on my side either. ALL the evidence points to me shooting Firestone… but Crophopper I DIDN'T do this. I told you the truth. That's what I saw… I can't explain anything else about this because none of it makes any sense to me." Blackthorn confessed. "You can believe me, or you can believe the evidence… what's it to be?"

I didn't do this… I didn't do it… the very same words Dusty had told his class so many years ago… "I believe you." Dusty said now.

"Why? There's no evidence on my side." Blackthorn pointed out.

"Because you believed in me back then in that classroom… and I believe you now." Dusty replied honestly.

"Um… Crophopper… I believed you because there was no evidence to indicate you HAD stolen my lunch money. The evidence is against me here, and my story doesn't make sense, by your own admission."

"Yeah well… even still… if that's what you claim happened, then that's what happened. Yeah it makes… basically no sense but… but I believe you. If you say it's true then that's good enough for me. You're not a murderer, Blackthorn, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I admit it's quite the mystery but… if that's what you saw, that's what you saw. And I believe you." Dusty stated firmly.

"Heh… I see. Well…" Dusty caught the hints of a smile beginning to form on Blackthorn's lips. "Anyway… as I rowed back to the shore, the police were there already, and promptly arrested me." Blackthorn finished.

"Already there? As in they'd been tipped off ahead of time?" Dusty asked here, growing suspicious again, but not of Blackthorn.

"Or someone on the lake shore heard the shots, and called the police." Blackthorn pointed out.

"Oh… well yeah, I guess that's possible too." Dusty admitted. "Wow so… that's what happened?"

"That's all I know." Blackthorn stated. "I have no idea what happened on that boat… or how he was shot from further away…"

"Could someone on the shore have done it?" Dusty asked.

"No… police stated the ballistics were a match with the gun I was holding… so no… there was no one who would've shot him from the shore. He was shot with the gun I was holding… the gun he drew on me in the first place." Blackthorn explained.

Dusty sighed in exasperation. "Dammit! Then how…? I don't get any of this!"

"Neither do I… it's quite the mystery, as you said." Blackthorn agreed.

"This is NOT looking good. I mean I don't have anything to go on here! He was shot with the gun you were holding, but at too great a distance that it wasn't suicide so… what the hell?"

"I wish I could give you better answers than I have, Crophopper." Blackthorn replied. "I really wish I could."

"If someone's setting you up… they knew what they were doing. This shows a LOT of planning. Is there anyone who would want to see you killed?" Dusty asked now.

"None that I can think of… but then again I'm not the most popular car here, so maybe what I said doesn't necessarily mean anything." The Maserati shrugged.

"Right… the prosecutor looks like he won't go down easily." Dusty commented here.

"Hmph… you're facing beyond the best in this one, Crophopper. He trained me, after all. He's a god among prosecutors." Blackthorn explained.

"Why would he prosecute you though?" Dusty asked. "I mean doesn't he care?"

"Only about his record…" Blackthorn looked past Dusty into the distance, as if gazing at something very far away.

"So they've got your hubcap markings on the gun, it wasn't a suicide… jeez. I'm gonna need a miracle to pull this one off."

"Yes well… this time I'll agree with you on the miracle bit." Blackthorn stated as he bit his lower lip. "I wish I could be more helpful, but I told you all I know. I realize it's pretty useless…"

"Well… it's all I've got right now. I just have to hope I can do this… I mean if you're being truthful with me Blackthorn… then there's SOMETHING that won't add up in the trial… something I can hopefully pick up on and run with. I mean something won't make sense on the prosecution's side… I only hope I can find it." Dusty stated here.

"Well right now you're all I've got." Blackthorn replied. "I admit this looks like an impossible shot but… don't let von Karswerth phase you in the first few minutes… he tries to put his opposition on their back wheels at first. Keep your cool, think clearly… don't let him intimidate you. That's… really the best advice I can give you."

"Right… well… I guess I'd better get going to get the police reports and see what Detective Crawford thinks. I'm not giving up on you, Blackthorn. You didn't do this… I believe that." Dusty told him reassuringly, smiling down at him here.

A slight smile again appeared on Blackthorn's face. "Uh… well… thanks… Crophopper. Sorry again I couldn't be of more help."

"Well… we'll just have to do the best we can."

"I… wish I could be hopeful but…" Blackthorn trailed off here now. "I know von Karswerth. He never makes it easy…"

"Hey." Dusty caused Blackthorn to look at him here. "I got you on this… OK?" Blackthorn gave a terse nod, but said nothing further. Taking his cue, Dusty turned, and headed for the exit. He could tell Blackthorn lacked hope, and he didn't blame him. Dusty had no idea how he'd pull this one off either, defeat an undefeated prosecutor, and somehow prove Blackthorn didn't do this… but if he was telling the truth… then maybe the truth would help him once again… it was all he could hope for with this one…


	9. Chapter 9: An Airtight Trial

**Author's Note: **Spray Kane used with permission of his author! Yes, we have a really puzzling mystery on our wheels, don't we?

Dusty decided to meet Blackthorn as he was escorted out of the detention center to the courthouse. The firefighter wanted to be a visible presence for him throughout this case. Unfortunately, the police reports hadn't turned up anything unusual about the case that Dusty could capitalize on but… there was ONE thing at least. Police reports indicated the gun had been fired three times… just what that meant Dusty wasn't sure. Blackthorn had stated Firestone fired twice so… where this third shot came from, he wasn't sure just yet, but it could be something. Of course it could mean absolutely nothing as well, as the gun could've been shot earlier in the day, with no connection to the present case. It would be next to impossible to prove relevancy, and Dusty knew it.

While Dusty said nothing to Blackthorn at first, he acted as if he were part of the police escort to the courthouse. As they wound their way through the streets (with Blackthorn hooked up to a tow truck), Dusty wanted to say something to his old friend, but found his mind was a jumbled mess of thinking about how he could actually pull anything out of this trial to save Blackthorn.

As they reached the courthouse, Blackthorn was unhooked and surrounded by police cars as they headed inside. Just as they entered the building, tremors passed underneath Dusty's pontoons, and he immediately recognized it as an earthquake. California was prone to having them from time to time, and while he could tell this wasn't a serious one, he was surprised to see Blackthorn looking like he was panicking.

Panting to the point of hyperventilation, the Maserati had wild eyes, shooting them from left to right as he backed away, looking like he wanted to hide. He finally let out a cry, closed his eyes, and hunkered down as close to the floor as he could get. Dusty softened upon seeing this, but also found it curious as well. It seemed an extreme reaction to a minor earthquake, and he rolled over to Blackthorn as it ended, noting how tightly clenched up the car was. "Um… Blackthorn?" Dusty asked softly.

"Is it over?" Blackthorn asked, trembling visibly

"Yeah… yeah it's over…" Dusty said, hesitating before he reached down and placed a wing on his friend. "What's wrong?"

"I just… I just can't stand earthquakes." The prosecutor stuttered as he slowly opened his eyes.

"You're afraid of them? You never used to be when I knew you…" Dusty commented softly.

"I just… I developed a fear later on… I can't stand them…" Blackthorn responded, his breathing starting to slow down.

"Well… it's over now." Dusty said comfortingly. "Did you know I had a fear of heights myself?" he asked.

"I didn't… no." Blackthorn responded, exhaling as he looked around him. "Anyway… what are you doing?" he asked, noticing Dusty's wing on him for the first time now.

"Was just trying to help…" Dusty replied quietly. "I told you I'm not abandoning you… and I didn't just mean in the trial."

"Uhh… well… let's just go!" Blackthorn brushed past Dusty now, heading for the courtroom. Dusty smiled to himself, and rolled on after his friend. This felt good to him… despite the fact he figured he wouldn't do well today. It was good to FINALLY repay his former best friend.

Heading in, he noticed Manfred von Karswerth was already at his desk, seemingly meditating… or something. His eyes were closed, a frown was on his face, and his left tire was slightly moving in and out. He was the perfect picture of concentration.

Heading to his own desk with Blackthorn, he saw he was the only lawyer present… no backup this time… though not that he'd needed it before. Skipper was already there, as he'd been told by Dusty to go ahead and wait for him. His flypad was waiting for him; as before, the court clerk would be uploading the transcripts to it for his perusal. "So… think you're ready for this?" Skipper asked softly.

"Uh… well I guess we'll find out. I don't have the faintest idea how this crime actually occurred." Dusty admitted.

"All rise, for the Honorable Judge Spinner!" As everyone rose up, it seemed as if Spinner would be once again presiding over this one. Sure enough, the black Escalade rolled out, and took the podium, slapping his gavel down.

"I hereby bring State of California vs. Blackthorn to session! Is the prosecution ready?" Spinner asked von Karswerth, who still seemed to be deep in thought. "Uh… prosecution? Are you…"

"Of course I'm ready!" von Karswerth suddenly sprang to life and snapped. "I will bring decisive evidence down on the defendant… the evidence is overwhelming, after all." He glared at Spinner here, who seemed a bit taken aback at this.

"Er… and the defense is ready?" he asked, looking at Dusty.

"Defense is ready, your honor." Dusty responded with a nod.

"Good! Your opening statement then, Mr. von Karswerth." Spinner ordered.

"Hmph…" he drove out from behind his desk now, heading to the jury. "On the night of Christmas Eve, the defendant, Simon Blackthorn, went to Cord Lake to meet the victim, a defense attorney by the name of Robert Firestone. They took a small boat out to the lake, two shots rang out, and the victim toppled backwards, mortally wounded, into the misty waters below! The police arrested the defendant as soon as he reached shore. I intend to prove to you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Simon Blackthorn is a murderer." Von Karswerth's eyes were on Blackthorn now, who seemed to gaze blankly back at him. "This trial will be decisive… a decisive group of witnesses… a decisive piece of evidence… decisive conclusion. There will be no other outcome than guilty, for you, the jury, will see to it as I prove it to you." The older Maybach Zeppelin nodded firmly at them, then drove back to his desk. Cars like him used engines of zeppelins, or lighter than air craft from around the turn of the 20th Century. While they were fascinating cars, Dusty could already see von Karswerth wasn't going down without a fight.

"Your opening statement, Mr. Crophopper." Spinner turned to Dusty now. Gulping, the firefighter rolled out from behind the desk, and faced the jury, his propeller spinning a bit.

"Well, I can say that through an elaborate conspiracy, the defendant was in fact framed of this murder!" He could feel von Karswerth sneering at him here, but he tried to ignore the burning stare. ""Now I know that might seem hard to believe at first, but I'll prove that Simon Blackthorn is no murderer! Someone set him up… and that someone will become clearer as this trial goes on! I intend to prove that my client, Simon Blackthorn, is innocent of these charges and that someone is setting him up! And I'll do it just as decisively as the prosecution claims they will! Thank you!" he stated, heading back over to his desk now.

"Very well then! Mr. von Karswerth, you may call your first witness!" Judge Spinner instructed, and von Karswerth summoned Detective Crawford to the stand first, as he would go over the details of the murder for the court as well as explain why Blackthorn had been arrested. He laid out a map of Cord Lake, and pretty much explained Blackthorn's arrival and meeting with the victim. The two had proceeded on a small boat out ont the lake, where Blackthorn had proceeded to shoot and kill Firestone. Firestone had fallen off the boat into the lake, where he'd been dredged out the next morning. An anonymous call had been received at police headquarters requesting they come out to investigate gunshots at Cord Lake, and that's when they'd found Blackthorn just arriving back at the shore. Blackthorn's right hubcap marks were all over the gun, and with this proof, they'd had no choice but arrest the prosecutor. Ballistics was a match to the gun found in the boat, and Firestone was shot from too far away to be suicide.

There was nothing that Dusty could determine as inherently wrong here aside from the anonymous caller. But anonymous callers did this all the time for the police, so while it was suspicious, it wasn't anything he could really press the matter on. He decided to waive his right of cross-examination and let the next witness take the stand.

Next to the stand was a red Jeep, a photographer who claimed to not only have witnessed the murder, but to have gotten a photo of it as well. Dusty hadn't been expecting this in the slightest, and felt his oil pressure rising at the prospect this could mean for the case. This could break it right here… especially if Blackthorn was revealed to be the shooter.

As the off-road vehicle approached the stand, von Karswerth emerged from his desk and nodded at her. "Ms. Cherry Kee is it? Could you please testify to the court what you saw on Christmas Eve?" the prosecutor asked.

"Sure thing!" Cherry spoke with a southern accent, and appeared to be barely out of college, at least to Dusty. "So Christmas Eve, I was camping out on the shores of Cord Lake hoping to get a shot of Cordy, the rumored sea serpent of the lake! I had my camera set up to take pictures of any loud noises in the lake. I saw a small boat out there, with two cars in it… and that's when I saw it! One guy drew a gun, and shot the other! Bang! Then another bang! And finally, the victim fell off the boat and into the lake. My camera captured it all too!"

The testimony was uploaded to Dusty's flypad and he read it over, but didn't find much he could pick apart; it seemed pretty solid.

"Could you present this photo as evidence for the court?" von Karswerth asked here.

The photo was put up on the screen, and the boat could be seen through the mist, with two darkened cars outlined through the fog, one clearly holding a gun at the other. Dusty bit his bottom lip, but he noted he couldn't actually tell who was who through the fog. But still… with Blackthorn's hubcap marks on the gun… this case seemed sealed.

"Hmmm… certainly seems decisive to me." Judge Spinner pointed out here. "The defense may cross-examine the witness." He ordered, and Dusty prepared for the fight of his life as he rolled out from behind his desk.

"Now hold on a minute! Is there really any doubt! We have photographic evidence! We have his marks on the gun! We have a ballistics match with said gun! It wasn't suicide! What more is there to do? Everything says guilty! Unless you've found something, Mr. Crophopper?" von Karswerth confidently stated as he sneered at the firefighter. "If you fail to find ANYTHING in this testimony of note, I will press for the judge to hold you in contempt in court!"

Dusty cringed here. Already he was on his back wheels… just like Blackthorn had warned him he'd be. He knew he was totally bluffing here, as he had absolutely nothing to go on. This was beyond risky, but he had to try. "So uh… well… Ms. Kee… you would say this was around midnight?" Dusty asked here. He noted the autopsy report said Firestone was killed around midnight, but he had to be sure.

"Well yeah! It was pretty much midnight!" Cherry responded.

"Meaningless question!" von Karswerth snapped. "Do you have something RELEVANT to add Mr. Crophopper?"

"Um… well… yes!" he tried again. "So you heard two gunshots… but the gun was fired three times…"

"Objection!' von Karswerth was ready. "The victim was shot only once! Who cares how many times the gun was fired! It's IRRELEVANT! More pointless banter from you! Just as I figured from someone who's NOT even a laywer! The gun could've emptied its clip for all we care! What REALLY matters is the final shot! The one that killed the victim! It came from THAT gun! We've established that already! One more try, Mr. Crophopper, and I'll have the judge hold you in contempt!"

"Objection sustained!" Judge Spinner banged his gavel. "Mr. Crophopper, DO you have a case, or not? You're not making any points here!"

"I… uh… yes well! Are you POSITIVE you saw the two cars in the boat? Not your camera… but you… "

"Objection!" von Karswerth snapped. "This is meaningless, your honor! The defense is going in circles… chasing his tail so to speak." Von Karswerth smirked. "He has nothing! She testified she saw the two cars! Her photo clearly shows two cars! What's the problem here?"

'Hmmm… yes… I do see your point, Mr. von Karswerth." Spinner agreed.

"Furthermore, what are you implying, Mr. Crophopper? Going to invent some fairy tale that that's NOT the victim and the defendant in the boat?" von Karswerth challenged.

"Uh… no… no I'm not…" Dusty said meekly here.

"Then hold him in contempt of court! This cross-examination was pointless, as I suspected! There's nothing wrong with the testimony OR the evidence! The defense is grasping at the air desperately because he has NOTHING. Or am I wrong, Mr. Crophopper?"

Dusty couldn't even respond, and he now knew why von Karswerth was so good. He was ruthless… and didn't even give one a chance to come up for air.

"It seems I have no choice but to hold you in contempt, Mr. Crophopper. This of course…" as Spinner began, Skipper suddenly started his engine, and revved it up, heading out to the open area now.

"Hold it!" Skipper narrowed his eyes as he glared at von Karswerth. The court bailiffs looked as if they might draw their guns on him, but he stood his ground. "You CLEARLY saw WHO the two cars in the boat were, Ms. Kee?" the Corsair asked here.

"Well of course! I could clearly see it was Mr. Blackthorn and the victim!" Cherry shot back.

"But you didn't testify as such! You just said 'two cars!'" Skipper pointed out.

"What are you implying? Who are you! Remove this plane from the courtroom!" von Karswerth ordered.

"The defense will refrain from these outbursts! Get that Corsair out of here!" Judge Spinner ordered. "This is turning into a circus! I hold this Corsair in contempt of court!"

As the bailiffs moved towards Skipper, he gave Dusty a deadly serious look. "Dusty… I can't see crap in the photo. You REALLY think this is decisive evidence?" Skipper asked here. "All I see are two vague cars. If you pull this off Dusty… I'll hula dance to Bon Jovi's 'It's My Life' got that? That's your incentive!" The bailiffs began pushing Skipper back now, as Dusty's eyes widened.

"Really?" He asked about the dance, then quickly corrected himself. "Uh… I mean of course! You can't see who's in that photograph!" Dusty stated now, turning to the judge.

"Objection! This is meaningless obfuscation!" von Karswerth replied. "Who ELSE would be in the boat? It's the victim and the defendant! Unless you're implying that's another fictional boat that didn't exist?" von Karswerth sneered here again.

"Well! I'm not satisfied! This court shouldn't be either! Ms. Kee just SAID she could clearly see Mr. Blackthorn, but HOW? There's NOTHING in this photograph to indicate she could CEALRY see that! There's nothing to indicate she was even sure of what she saw! We have to pursue this until there's no shadow of a doubt! THAT'S what justice is, after all!" Dusty continued.

"And I've already stated there's no one else it could've been in that boat! This is a fantasy of the defense's and nothing more!" von Karswerth growled.

"But I want this answered!" Dusty shot back. "We can't SEE anything… the witness couldn't clearly see that night! Is that true?" Dusty asked now, narrowing his eyes as he turned to Cherry.

"Um… well… I had an enhancement of this photograph made, for your information!" she replied acidly.

"You… did?" Dusty asked here, growing nervous as his throat closed up.

Von Karswerth seemed equally nervous, and drove forward now. "We don't need to see this enhancement your honor! What's the point?" he pressed.

But wait! He was afraid of something… something in the enhancement! "No! We DO need to see it, your honor! It could be vital evidence! If my theory is correct, we WONT see Blackthorn firing that gun!" Dusty remembered Blackthorn's story yesterday… it rang in his mind as clear as a bell, and he needed to see if he was right. If this enhancement showed faces… and if Blackthorn was being honest… it would show the victim holding the gun!

"All right, all right! Calm down!" Spinner snapped with irritation. "The court will be shown the enhanced photograph! Mr. von Karswerth, sorry, but it has to be seen! The defense is right… for once." He looked down at Dusty now, who nodded at the judge.

The court fell silent as the enhanced photo was brought up on the screen now. The cars were in much clearer focus now… though it was still impossible to see faces. One was clearly seen shooting at the other… but there was something incredibly important here that Dusty seized on. "Aha!" he exclaimed.

"Aha what, Mr. Crophopper? We still can't see any faces! The mist is too thick!" Judge Spinner pointed out here.

"BUT… what DO we see?" Dusty asked the court now. "It's plain as day to me! The gun is being held… in the LEFT HUBCAP in this photograph!" he proclaimed triumphantly.

Von Karswerth was gnashing his teeth, and looking like he was about to blow a gasket. "See I thought it was the RIGHT hubcap that left marks on the gun!" Dusty continued.

"What does it matter what hubcap the gun is held in? We still have the defendant's hubcap marks on the gun!" von Karswerth stated.

"But the WRONG side! That could JUST as easily be the victim firing that gun!" Dusty pointed out.

"Objection! We already ruled out suicide!" von Karswerth defiantly replied.

"Well fine… not suicide but that is the WRONG wheel holding the gun! That leaves reasonable doubt for my client! His story of having picked up the gun in shock could still stand true! We CAN'T prove he killed the victim, especially since this was taken AT the time of the murder!" Dusty defended now.

"But what else could've happened?" von Karswerth asked.

"I don't know just yet, but that's what this trial will find out! WE CAN'T convict Blackthorn on this evidence because SOMETHING fishy was going on in that boat! If this is at the time of the murder, it could be the victim firing that gun!"

"This is nonsense, your honor! The defense's claims make no sense! It wasn't suicide! So what he's claiming is irrelevant! The prosecution's version of events STILL stands up despite this new evidence! We need not waste any more time debating the nuances of what hubcap the gun was being held in!" von Karswerth snapped.

"No! This is NEW evidence, your honor! It can't be ignored! The prosecution has a strong case, yes, but this raises doubts! It's the WRONG wheel, your honor! We HAVE to investigate this! It's a new lead! We can't proclaim a verdict until we've cleared up ALL doubts! This photo shows there's something clearly wrong with the prosecution's story, strong though it is! Please let us look into this! We need more time to dig into this matter!" Dusty pleaded.

Judge Spinner closed his eyes, frowning as if he had a headache, which he probably did. Sighing, he didn't open his eyes and remained silent.

"It's a waste of time, your honor." Von Karswerth persisted.

"No! It's not! I can use this! Please!" Dusty urged.

"Ugh! Mr. Crophopper, there is a VERY high probability that you're wasting this court's time with this chase but… I admit… I'm now doubting this case myself." Spinner opened his eyes here. "I'll grant you another day… but I warn you… if this proves fruitless, I WILL hold you in contempt of court, for which you could go to jail! Do you understand?"

"Yes! Yes, your honor! I promise you won't regret this!" Dusty proclaimed.

"I'm already regretting it." Spinner muttered. "I sense this is nothing more than a wild treasure hunt on your part. Your case is incredibly weak right now compared to the prosecution's, got that? If you fail to prove anything substantial tomorrow, I'm turning this over to the jury and holding you in contempt! I grant you a further day to prepare your case and look into the mystery of this left wheel enigma, as it were." He banged his gavel down, and adjourned the court.

"Yes!" Dusty exclaimed, smiling back at Blackthorn, who gave him a deadpan stare. "Hey! I proved your story might be true!" Dusty said as he rolled over to him.

"Yes but… you were within an inch… an INCH of losing today, Crophopper." Blackthorn replied.

"Yeah but I bought us another day, right? More time to look into stuff! Prove your innocence!"

"Yes but… you were grasping at straws! This is only prolonging the inevitable! You need to do better if you're going to have a prayer of beating von Karswerth!" Blackthorn responded darkly.

"Hey I'm doing the best I can with almost nothing to go on! I got this far! I can do this!"

Maybe…" Blackthorn replied, looking off to the side. "I'll uh… pay your friend's bail." He stated softly here.

"Huh? Oh, Skipper? Yeah… he's gonna need bail…" Dusty admitted as he knew Skip had already gotten himself held in contempt.

"I'll pay it." Blackthorn stated simply. "Also… I doubt the FBI can help on this case, but if you ever need an extra head to figure something out… look up FBI Agent Spray Kane… he might be able to help you in the future."

"Spray Kane? OK… will do." Dusty nodded here.

"Just tell him I recommended you to him. He knows me. Anyway… I suppose I'm headed back to lockup for the rest of the day… good luck." Blackthorn wasn't sounding too hopeful here, but Dusty promised himself he'd do everything to help his friend get off the hook… everything.

"Thanks… and thanks for bailing Skip out. I'm gonna need him on this. He's the one who brought up the issue with the photograph so… there's something to this, Blackthorn! I just know there is! I'm gonna prove you didn't shoot Firestone! Just you wait!" Dusty assured him.

Blackthorn nodded, and was led away now by the cops. "There has to be more to this case… something I'm not seeing… but what is it? It just has to be there! Who's really behind this?" Dusty mused aloud. "Well… I'd better go pick up Skipper and check out Cord Lake. Maybe SOMEONE there saw something different… or there's another clue. And Spray Kane… I wonder if he could help…" Dusty knew the FBI didn't handle cases like this, so probably not, but still… could be a useful future reference.

It was time to get back to work, and prove that Blackthorn had only picked up the gun after the victim had fallen into the lake. That was the victim shooting in the photograph… he just knew! Blackthorn was telling the truth! Now he just had to prove it and figure out the mystery behind this murder!


	10. Chapter 10: The Brink of Defeat

"Hey Dusty! How'd you make bail?" Skipper asked as Dusty picked him up from the detention center.

"Well I didn't… Blackthorn posted it for you." Dusty explained.

"Really? Huh… you know… maybe he IS still in there, somewhere."

"I know he is." Dusty responded simply. "So I was thining we could head up to Cord Lake to try and get some evidence and talk to anyone who might've witnessed anything. Cherry Kee can't be the ONLY one who witnessed the murder."

"Well it WAS Christmas Eve so… maybe…" Skipper answered thoughtfully. "Still… we're gonna need to really pull out all the stops if we're gonna beat that German car. He knows his game… presses his advantages and never backs down. He's a soldier, that one. I can't tell if he ever served in any wars but… but he knows how to fight, I'll give him that."

"He's also ruthless." Dusty pointed out. "Anyway… let's head up to Cord Lake and figure this one out, shall we?"

"Yeah… let's go up there and see what we can see." Skipper nodded, starting his engine up. "We gotta work fast to unravel this admittedly puzzling case."

* * *

Cord Lake was covered with a light snow, being more towards the mountains and away from the coast. Dusty shivered a bit as he drove through the white powder, his tires bearing the brunt of it as they arrived at the lake. There was no fog, and a great view could be seen from the shores. Trees surrounded the lake, and a small boat rental shop was off to their left, with a long pier jutting out from it.

The police were here, including Detective Crawford, whose snow tires crunched along the powder as he saw the two of them. "Hey! Crophopper! You did good today! Way to buy yourself some time!" the Ford praised, giving Crophopper a smile.

"Thanks, detective! Say uh… you find anything new that could help clear Blackthorn? Anything I could use to help him out?"

"Well…" Crawford looked off to the side here reluctantly. "I'm not TECHNICALLY supposed to be telling you this but… the prosecution is preparing another witness… the boat shop owner over there." He gestured with his eyes down to the boat shop. "Apparently… he… well I can't say anymore, sorry." Crawford stated in a low voice.

"Oh…" Dusty stated, looking down at the boat shop now. Those boats looked inorganic… no engines, so hence, no life. So much for one of them being a witness to this… "Well thanks, Detective Crawford. At least we know someone ELSE witnessed this! But if the prosecution's using him… he must've seen something… what can you tell me about him?"

"You'll have to find out yourself. Cops are technically supposed to be supporting the state, after all." Crawford reminded him. "But… not much." Crawford responded after a moment. "He's kind of an enigma… and you'll see why, when you talk to him."

"Well… all right. Thanks, Detective Crawford, I think that…"

"DUSTY!" The shout caused the firefighter to jump, but the rev of the engine was unmistakable, and the voice was a voice Dusty never would've forgotten. As the car barreled towards him, throwing up geysers of snow on either side, Dusty couldn't suppress the smile. While he didn't share the hyped up enthusiasm the car did, he was both surprised and glad to see him all the same.

"Larry Fenders?" Dusty exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well I could ask you the same question! I would know you ANYWHERE, even without your orange and white!" Larry declared, grinning. "It's good to see ya, buddy!" Larry was of course, the other good friend Dusty had had years ago with Blackthorn. "What you been up to? You look like a firefighter or something!"

"I am now!" Dusty replied, smiling. "I fight fires! But I'm also here because of Blackthorn… have you heard the news?"

"I did! Yeah! Our Simon… accused of murder? No way!" Larry snapped, shaking a bit in skepticism.

"I know… I don't really believe it either… but what are you doing here?"

"I was working the Christmas festival! And uh… doing a photo shoot of my new girlfriend…" Larry admitted here, looking down. "But uh… I kinda got delayed in taking everything down. See like… we were setting up giant balloons of Ripslinger and Crusty Windchaser but uh… I uh…"

"What'd you do now, Larry?" Dusty asked, knowing Larry always had a penchant for getting into trouble.

"Well see, I was trying to fill up the balloon of Rip when uh… the canister kind of blew… it shot into the balloon itself and carried the balloon into the lake… oops!" Larry gave an innocent grin here. "So I've been trying to recover it today! I mean man! I didn't think one little balloon could cause all this trouble!" he chuckled sheepishly, still giving that "I didn't do it" grin Dusty knew him so well for.

"Hm-hm, I see. Well… it's good to see you again, Larry."

"Yeah, you too Duster! Hey! You said you were here because of Blackthorn… what do you mean?" Larry asked now.

"Well I'm assisting in his trial… I'm his defense attorney because… no one else wanted to do it." Dusty confessed here.

"Wow! Seriously? You? A lawyer? That's crazy!"

"I'm doing the best I can… but uh hey! I gotta continue my investigation… you wouldn't mind catching up later, would you?" the plane asked now.

"Certainly not! You keep it real, Dustmeister!" Larry clicked his lips, gave him a wink, and drove off to continue his search. "Your number still the same?" he called as he drove off.

"Still the same!" Dusty shouted after him.

"I'll call you!"

"That was the other one, wasn't it? The other one who defended you in class." Skipper stated.

"Yep! That's him! Larry Fenders! He's uh… always getting into trouble of some kind. Anyway, let's check out this new witness." Dusty suggested, rolling in the opposite direction of Larry now down to the boat shop. It was a small enough place, big enough for a car to live in, but not much more. "Uh… hello?" Dusty called inside to anyone who might be within.

"Who's that?" came an older sounding voice. "Keith? Is that you?"

"Uh… no… it's not." Dusty saw the door was open, so he headed on in. An older, grizzled looking car drove up to meet them.

"Keith! Where you been all this time?" the older car asked, smiling warmly as he greeted the plane.

"Uh… I'm not Keith…"

"And is that Meg?" the old car asked, looking behind him now at Skipper. Skipper glared at him.

"Do I LOOK like a Meg?" the old Corsair asked.

"It is you! My two children done come home!" the old car happily exclaimed. While he didn't look as old as Skipper, he seemed to be have been made sometime in the 60s, given his body style. He looked like a Plymouth of some kind. "It's so good to see you! Your pa's done opened up a noodle shop now! You want some noodles?"

"Uh…" Dusty looked around at the rental shop. There were no noodles in sight. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

"It's me! Your pa, silly! Keith you always were a little whacky, you know that? Now come on! Let me fix you up some hot noodles!" the old caretaker insisted.

"A-actually I was hoping you could tell us about a murder that took place here two nights ago…" Dusty tried.

"A murder? Sheesh! No murders here, Keith! Just you and Meg! Now… let me get you some noodles…" he turned now, and headed towards a microwave.

"This old car's got a few screws loose." Skipper murmured as his back was turned.

"A few? THIS is von Karswerth's star witness?" Dusty whispered in disbelief. "He's a senile old jalopy!"

"Mmm… something ain't right here." Skipper commented, beginning to look around the shop. Dusty did the same, noting a large safe in the corner of the room. He wondered what was in there…

"So how you two been?" the old car asked the two of them.

"Oh! Fine!" Dusty responded, smiling awkwardly. "Just fine! How you been… pops?" Dusty played along as he rolled over to the desk.

Skipper glanced at a picture on the wall of a beautiful young Corvette from the 60s. "My dearest Polly…" was written upon the picture. But there was something else… just barely discernible. It was in the same blue marker, but it was much smaller. "Psst! Dusty!" Skipper whispered, nodding at the photo. Dusty turned and rolled over. "Take a look at this."

Dusty studied the photograph, narrowing his eyes. "WHAT?" he gasped, noticing the small letters and number "DC-6" written underneath Polly "DC-6? That's the case number of Blackthorn's father's murder!" he hissed.

"I know…" Skipper responded. "That's one hell of a coincidence…" he murmured under his breath.

"Well sorry my kids… it seems I'm all out of noodles…" the old car approached them now apologetically. "Funny… a noodle shop running out of noodles, isn't it?" Dusty tried to act naturally here, offering a wide smile.

"Oh! That's OK! No worries, pa!" he offered a smile as if it were no big deal. "Hm-hm… say! Do the words DC-6 mean anything to you?" he asked now.

The car's eyes fluttered, blinking rapidly as his face seemed to harden and the beginnings of a scowl began to spread across his face, but he quickly relaxed, and let his features melt into a goofy smile once more. "No… why? You being silly again Keith?"

Dusty gave him a skeptical look here. That was odd… he'd reacted to it. What was his connection to that case? "Say Meg… Keith… I got a lot of work to do… I hate to throw ya out but… I got noodles to replace… that OK?"

"Uhhh… well are you SURE you didn't see anything two nights ago?" Dusty pressed.

"Saw plenty of stuff… but I'm sorry. Come back later, OK?" He began to drive towards them now, as if dismissing them. "I love you two… you know that, right?"

"Uhh wait! If we could just have a bit more of your time!"

"I don't got no noodles! All out! Sorry again!" Dusty was forced to back up now as the car drove right for him. "Come back later! Got it?" Since Dusty was backing up, Skipper had to as well, and both were practically shoved out the door. The car proceeded to slam the door in front of them, and Dusty thought he caught a dark look being issued his way from the rental shop owner, but he couldn't be sure as the door closed too quickly.

"What… was that all about?" Dusty asked now as he turned to Skipper.

"Beats me… but that guy smells worse than rotten corn on a wet day… he's hiding something."

"Yeah but what?" Dusty asked. "And how is he going to be a star witness?"

"Hmmm… I dunno… what do you think that DC-6 thing was well about?" Skipper asked now.

"I don't know… but I know a way we could maybe find out." Dusty began heading back up the path now towards the police cars. "Hey! Detective Crawford! Um… could you maybe give me access to the police files on the DC-6 case?"

"DC-6? That's Blackthorn's case… Gregory Blackthorn, that is. What do you need access to that case for?" Crawford asked.

"I think it might be relevant to THIS case! That boat shop caretaker… I don't know much about him, like you said, but… I found a connection to DC-6 in his shop! I'm gonna need to see those files!"

"You found a connection?" Crawford asked here.

"Well I won't know for certain until I look at the files but… could you maybe give me permission to do so? Please? It's very important!" Dusty insisted.

Looking at the other cop cars, who were occupied, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "All right, fine. Let me write you up permission… take it to our archives… but you better be right about this, Crophopper. Civilians aren't supposed to look at those files!" Crawford cautioned.

"I'll be quick… I promise!"

"Dusty are you sure about this? We haven't found diddly squat here and we're runnin' out of time!" Skipper reminded him. "Is looking at these case files REALLY going to help? We're STILL no closer to solving this thing! The clock's ticking, my friend!"

"I-I know!" Dusty stammered. "But I'm getting a vague picture here… I need to confirm a few things first though." He sighed in exasperation. "I KNOW we're not doing good! But… this is the only lead we have! We gotta pursue it!"

"Hope it pans out…" Skipper murmured as Crawford handed over their written permission slip.

"Thank you, Detective Crawford! OK! Let's head back to LA to check these files out!" Dusty said, starting up his engine as snow began to flurry around in the air from the force of the wind.

* * *

The police archives were a quiet, dimly lit part of the police station. Only an occasional yellowed bulb glowed overhead as the two planes were shown to the filing cabinets containing the files on DC-6. The secretary removed them and set them up on a nearby table for them to look through. They would be monitored of course, and had thirty minutes.

Dusty immediately began reading as Skipper looked at some pictures. "OK… on December 28th, 1999, the victim, Gregory Blackthorn, a defense attorney, entered an elevator with his son, Simon, and a bailiff of the court, John Fury. The victim was heading home after the completion of a trial earlier in the day. At precisely 4 PM, an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck the building and disabled all electrical power, trapping the three vehicles in aforementioned elevator. With power loss to the entire building, fans were also shut down, diminishing the oxygen supply within the elevator. All three cars began suffering from oxygen deprivation, and it is believed an argument broke out between Fury and the victim. When rescuers arrived at the scene and power was restored almost an hour and a half later, Simon and Fury were both found unconscious from oxygen deprivation while the victim was found with a single gunshot wound to his engine block, deceased. The murder weapon was the sidearm carried by the bailiff, John Fury. The gun had been fired twice, but to this day, the second bullet has not been recovered. Police arrested Fury, but… hey Skip! Listen to this!" Dusty called over to the Corsair now. "But Fury's defense attorney, Robert Firestone, managed to get Fury acquitted of the murder by claiming Fury was insane thanks to brain damage he'd suffered from oxygen deprivation."

"Insanity… you say?" Skipper asked here, narrowing his eyes.

"Yeah! You don't think… that that old Plymouth we saw at the boat rental shop…"

"Dusty there are no coincidences in cases like this. I don't think anything…" Skipper trailed off suggestively.

"We're gonna have to prove it, though!" Dusty finished.

"Yeah… good luck getting a cooky old car to admit to anything!" Skipper replied.

"Yeah… I know. But that look in his eyes! When I mentioned DC-6 he reacted to it!" Dusty declared.

"Doesn't mean anything though… he recognizes it maybe… but if he IS John Fury… how's he tie in to this case?" Skipper asked.

"I have no idea… but it's something to go on at least. I'm working on something… but I can't prove any of it… and it's more like I'm looking at an incomplete picture than the final assembled puzzle but… I have a theory… it's a work in progress… my only hope is to draw it out of that old Plymouth tomorrow. You find anything in those photos?" Dusty asked.

"Just the crime scene." Skipper stated, pushing one of the photos across to Dusty. "There's Blackthorn's dad… with the bullet wound in his hood… and there's another bullet hole in the elevator doors, see? That must be the second shot that was never found."

"Huh… well now I know where Blackthorn's fear of earthquakes came from… gosh… how awful this must've been." Dusty said softly, looking at the photo. "To be trapped in the elevator… and wake up to find your father dead… I can see why he'd hate criminals… even more so if von Karswerth later took him in."

"Great father figure he had… turns on him the moment it means 'win number 50.'" Skipper said with sarcasm.

"Yeah well… I guess I'm not THAT surprised, knowing von Karswerth now." Dusty commented. He glanced at a photo of Gregory, and could see he was an older model Maserati with glasses. He resembled Blackthorn in many ways… and Dusty felt a shiver travel down him as gazed at the picture of the deceased defense attorney.

"So… this theory of yours… is it provable?" Skipper asked.

"Under the right circumstances it is, yes." Dusty nodded.

"Well you better hope you get those circumstances then… this ain't gonna get any easier."

Dusty sighed. "I know… I didn't say it'd be easy… but I have to keep going! Unravel this one thread at a time! We pounce on that old car tomorrow, and see what we can come up with!" Dusty exclaimed. "If he's who I think he is… then we'll get to the bottom of this!"

Nodding firmly, Skipper noted their time was almost up. "I think they're gonna throw us out soon. Better wrap it up. You get everything you need?"

"I hope so… we got precious little else." Dusty said, taking one last look back at the case files before he began heading for the exit with Skipper.

* * *

The next day, the 27th, court was reconvened, and von Karswerth summoned the old boat shop caretaker to the stand. The old Plymouth Fury drove in slowly, taking his time as he looked around at all the sights and sounds to be seen in wonder, startled by it all. He was sworn in, and von Karswerth asked him for his testimony.

"Um, wait!" Dusty cut in. "What's his name?" the firefighter asked.

"Can't remember… I don't even know who I am to be honest sonny… my past life is all a blur." The Plymouth confessed.

"Wait… how can we use someone who doesn't even know his own name as a witness?" Dusty asked here, moving out from behind his desk.

"Because of what he saw… he's certain on that." Von Karswerth claimed with a smirk. "You may begin your testimony, witness!"

"Well now… let's see… it was Christmas Eve… three nights ago… and I heard a gunshot out on the lake… I looked out… and saw a boat. There were two fellers in that boat… but one fell over the side… and then the boat started coming back in… it bumped up to the dock… and a car got out. The car drove by my shop… but in the darkness… I saw the face of the car." The old Plymouth testified.

Von Karswerth sneered here. "I see… and I think it's time for the cross-examination."

"Yes, I agree." Judge Spinner nodded. "Begin your cross-examination, Mr. Crophopper."

Dusty looked at the flypad, reading it all carefully. Saw his face… this was either very good… or very bad. "Right so… witness, you claim you saw the face of the car that drove by you from the boat… yes?"

"Sure did…" the old car nodded, seemingly forgetting that Dusty was "Keith."

"And you're positive of this?" Dusty asked.

"Yep… in fact he's right over there… behind your desk…" the Plymouth nodded now, and gasps and clamor erupted from the court as Blackthorn was singled out. Dusty whipped around to face Blackthorn now.

"Wait… you're POSITIVE it was the defendant?" Dusty asked now, suddenly feeling his insides contorting and his gas sloshing about in his tank in roiling motions.

"Sure am! That's him! The feller who stepped out of the boat and drove by my shop that night… no doubt…"

"Uh but wait… that's not…"

"Objection!" Von Karswerth put in now, grinning. "Do you have something legitimate to say, or not, Mr. Crophopper?"

"I uh… well… you're positive?" he asked again, realizing how stupid it sounded.

"Yeah sure… I'm positive." The Plymouth stated sincerely if simply.

"But…" Dusty stammered, and he realized only too late that von Karswerth had led him into a trap.

"Well? Nothing, Mr. Crophopper? The witness is positive. If you call his credibility into question… you have to prove it, after all." Von Karswerth pointed out.

"I… I…" Dusty fumbled with his words now as the room started to spin. "But that's… it can't be…"

"But it is." Von Karswerth stated as he sneered. "Your client is guilty, Mr. Crophopper. Guilty of murder!"

"No! There has to be something else!" Dusty protested.

"His testimony is flawless! The victim was shot and killed by Mr. Simon Blackthorn!" von Karswerth proclaimed. "Now then… why waste any more time on this useless banter? It's over! Submit this to the jury! We have his markings, photographic evidence, and a witness who saw him at the scene! There's no contradictions, there's no mistakes, there's no nothing! Submit it to the jury, your honor!" von Karswerth practically ordered. "If one fell into the lake and the ONLY one remaining was the defendant in that boat, what other explanation is there?"

"No… no! You can't!" Dusty attempted to delay the proceedings.

"Why not?" Judge Spinner asked now. "It's clear-cut, Mr. Crophopper. You turned up nothing in the day I gave you, and unless you can prove this witness is lying… I have no choice!"

"But… but…"

"Enough of this nonsense!" von Karswerth snapped. "Enough! You fought gallantly, but it's over, as it always was from the start of this trial! Now then… submit it to the jury!"

Dusty felt sick; his head was spinning, and he felt like he was going to retch onto the floor. He COULDN'T go down like this! It had all been a trap! He'd been played! Von Karswerth knew exactly what was going to happen, and he'd played him perfectly! But this Plymouth was lying! He just knew it! But how could he stop this? He had nothing to go on… no contradictions… or evidence to prove otherwise! All he had was a theory… but nothing to back it up with! He looked helplessly at Blackthorn, who gave him a resigned look in return.

"St-stop!" Dusty weakly protested, but Judge Spinner shook his head.

"Sorry, Mr. Crophopper! There's nothing more to be said! You've wasted our time, and I'm going to hold you in contempt of court for this stunt. You turned up nothing substantial, and I'm afraid this one goes over to the jury. So! Jury… you are hereby…"

The doors of the courtroom suddenly slammed open with great force, the two doors slamming against the back of the walls as a particular car suddenly stood there, panting and out of breath. "WAIT!" he yelled, everyone looking at him in shock as Larry Fenders struggled to catch his breath. "I NEED TO TESTIFY!"


	11. Chapter 11: The Nightmare

**Author's Note: **Well we're getting closer to the conclusion of this thing... or are we? And wow! You're making art for me, SevenStar? That's amazing! I'm really glad this story is inspiring you so! I can't WAIT to see this now! Thank you so much! :D

**Back to the Story**

"Larry?" Dusty asked upon seeing his friend. "What are you…?"

"I heard something that night! I've been watching the trial! And I have something to add! I was at Cord Lake setting up for the festival! I was there! I have testimony to add!" Larry insisted.

"You have testimony to add? What's the meaning of this?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"This car can't be permitted to testify!" von Karswerth snapped. "He hasn't been prepared by either myself or the defense! We can't just accept some car barging in here saying he wants to testify!"

"But I heard something that night! I'm a witness!" Larry insisted again.

Dusty caught Blackthorn signaling to him with his headlights, and Dusty headed on over to his desk. "Crophopper! This could be your chance! Von Karswerth always crafts the perfect cases! Gears in the works like Fenders here is something he's not accustomed to! Capitalize on this!" the Maserati urged. "He runs perfectly complete trials with perfectly prepared witnesses. Fenders isn't part of that equation so use this!"

"Right!" Dusty nodded. "Um… your honor! I believe Mr. Fenders has witnessed something key to this trial… and should be allowed to testify! I saw him yesterday at Cord Lake… so I know he was there. He should be allowed to testify, your honor!" Dusty approached the podium now.

"Nonsense! He's some random car who burst in here!" von Karswerth cut him off.

"But I DID witness something really important! Please! Let me testify!" Larry called.

"You witnessed something?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"I sure did! I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I can see it's important now!" Larry continued.

"But he's not an official witness!" von Karswerth protested here. "He can't be allowed to testify!"

"But he DID witness something, your honor! He MUST be allowed to testify! We have to get EVERY angle of this case!" Dusty equally protested. "That's what the law is about! Getting the truth of the matter! Justice is blind, your honor! It can accept a witness like Mr. Fenders! Please! Let's hear what he has to say!"

"No! This is completely unorthodox! I won't stand for this…"

"But I will!" Judge Spinner cut von Karswerth off. "Crophopper's right, Mr. von Karswerth! Justice has to prevail here… if this Mr. Fenders claims he witnessed something… we need to give him his time. You may approach the stand, Mr. Fenders." Spinner ordered.

"All right! I won't let you down Dustmeister! I promise!" Larry proclaimed, driving down the aisles now to the witness stand. He was promptly sworn in, and asked to testify about what he'd heard. The old boat shop owner was dismissed for now and taken back to the witness chambers. Clearing his throat, Larry began.

"Well uh… so it was Christmas Eve, right? I was listening to my headphones at the time… satellite radio. I was down near the boat rental shop and the DJ said 'Hey! It's almost Christmas!' before the next song started to play. Then I heard a pop! I thought it might be a backfire but… I understand now it was a gunshot! I looked around, but couldn't see anything from where I was standing, so I kept driving, thinking nothing more of it. I had a lot of work to do after all in setting up for the festival, and I was nowhere near done. But I'm positive I heard a gunshot."

Dusty's eyes widened at this testimony, and he could barely contain himself. He could use this! He could definitely use this! It helped explain his theory! Looking at his flypad, he quickly clicked to the evidence section, and brought up Cherry Kee's photos. THERE! RIGHT THERE! There was of course the photo snapped at midnight… and the enhanced version of that photo… but there was another one too! It was at 11:45! It showed nothing but an empty lake shrouded in mist… Dusty figured the photo worthless before but THIS explained his theory! Cherry had said her camera was set to go off at loud noises in yesterday's trial…

"Ahem! Mr. Fenders… you claim you heard one gunshot… ONLY one?" Dusty asked now, raising his brows.

"Yep! Just one! Positive on that!"

"You didn't hear three… or two?" Dusty pressed.

"Nope! Just the one, Duster!" Larry confirmed again.

"Hmm… isn't that curious? That directly contradicts Ms. Kee's testimony… she said yesterday she heard TWO gunshots… and the DJ said 'Hey, it's ALMOST Christmas'? Not Christmas… right?" Dusty continued.

"Yep! Almost Christmas!" Larry agreed.

"Let's look at this photo…" Dusty brought up the 11:45 photo now on the screen for the court to see. "Snapped at 11:45 from Ms. Kee's camera… it just shows an empty lake. Now recall yesterday that Ms. Kee testified her camera was set up to respond to loud noises… AND… the murder weapon was fired three times… something deemed irrelevant by the prosecution yesterday… however… I argue it's VERY relevant!"

"Relevant? How?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"I'll explain! Mr. Fenders hears a gunshot BEFORE Christmas… thanks to his radio saying so, and this photo proving a loud noise occurred at 11:45. You see ladies and gentlecars of the jury… there were TWO shootings at Cord Lake that night!" Dusty proclaimed.

"TWO? How two?" Judge Spinner asked now.

"Allow me to present my theory for the court… the murderer… the REAL murderer, invited Mr. Firestone AND Mr. Blackthorn to the lake that night… perhaps posing as each car in a letter he wrote to them. My client claims he received a letter from Mr. Firestone… but there's no proof it was actually written by Mr. Firestone! Firestone gets there first… he was invited first, after all. The murderer then proceeded to shoot and kill him at 11:45… BEFORE my client even arrived at the scene! Now where did the murder occur? Mr. Fenders just testified he was near the boat shop, but that he looked around and saw nothing. SO… Mr. Firestone was NOT shot out on the lake that night! He was instead killed INSIDE the boat rental shop! The murderer then performed a very simple trick that magicians pull all the time! The old switcharoo!" Dusty explained, looking at Blackthorn now.

"Defendant… when was the last time you saw Robert Firestone… NOT counting the night of his murder?" Dusty asked Blackthorn now.

"Not in 15 years… since he defended that court bailiff in the murder of my father." Blackthorn confessed.

"NOT in 15 years! That's a LONG time to not see someone! Could you say for CERTAIN beyond a shadow of a doubt that the car you met that night at Cord Lake was in fact Robert Firestone?" Dusty asked now.

After thinking a moment, Blackthorn shook his head. "Now that you mention it no… I can't. It was dark… foggy… he was wrapped in a heavy scarf and had a hat pulled down low over his roof. I couldn't be certain who exactly he was…"

"Aha! Well I argue that who my client met that night WASN'T Robert Firestone… he was dead already… it was the murderer! He then took my client out onto the lake, drew his gun, fired twice and purposely missed!" Dusty continued.

"Objection! Why fire twice and miss both times?" von Karswerth cut in now. "Where exactly are you going with this fanciful fairy tale?" he asked skeptically.

"He fired twice to CREATE witnesses! He KNEW about that camera on the shore! It was a perfect setup! He fired once so that the camera would go off and cause anyone on the lake to look at the sound… then fired twice to give the impression one had shot the other… he then threw himself off the boat to continue the illusion of one shooting the other… he could've easily sealed his engine block off and made it waterproof for that night, and could've say, inflated a rubber raft underneath him similar to what helicopters use when they have to ditch in the sea! In the fog and the shock of what had just occurred, Blackthorn wouldn't have been able to process any of this, and could've easily missed this raft heading back towards shore in the darkness and the gloom! The murderer then reached shore, pushed Firestone off the long pier of the boat rental shop into the lake, and called the police! He dumped the pistol in the boat knowing Blackthorn would probably pick it up in shock… just as he did!" Dusty smirked at von Karswerth now. "And that is what I propose occurred that night at Cord Lake! THAT'S why the pistol was fired three times… there were in fact two shootings! This was a carefully executed conspiracy to frame my client!"

"Objection!" von Karswerth put in again. "What a STORY! Heh… you have no proof! Who is this 'mystery murderer' you keep referring to? Who would go to such lengths to frame your client for this murder? My case is solid and has proof backing it up! Please explain to the court just who this murderer you keep referring to is!"

"I don't know!" Dusty responded but wasn't timid or meek like he was before.

"Ha! He doesn't even know-" but Dusty cut the prosecutor off.

"I don't KNOW because he never gave his name! The murderer is the boat shop caretaker waiting in the witness room right now!" Dusty finished.

"What?" von Karswerth seemed taken aback at this.

"Let's call him back in here and have him REALLY testify as to who he is! I have evidence linking him to Robert Firestone AND Simon Blackthorn! I saw it yesterday at his shop! I have a VERY good idea as to his identity!"

"You have evidence?" Judge Spinner asked here. "Really? Well then fine! Bailiff! Bring in that old boat rental shop caretaker! We need to ask him more questions!" the judge ordered. The bailiff nodded, and departed to go retrieve the caretaker.

"I give you A for imagination, Mr. Crophopper. But good luck proving anything. That witness has no idea who he is…" von Karswerth sneered.

"We'll see about that. I think I know exactly who he is, and how he ties to this case!" Dusty replied confidently. "It's all becoming clearer now! My vague puzzle is almost complete!" The only thing Dusty COULDN'T figure out was why Fury (because that's who he figured that Plymouth was) had killed Firestone and framed Blackthorn. His motive was lacking… Firestone had saved his life after all by getting him acquitted… but maybe Blackthorn could shed some light on this. Rolling up to the desk, Dusty looked at the Maserati. "What do you know about Firestone?" he asked softly.

"First off… Crophopper… I am IMPRESSED, OK? I don't say that lightly. You're doing something I never thought you capable of doing. Your theory makes sense… and confirms my story to you as well. Second… Firestone? I hated him… he got the person I thought had killed my father off the hook… I never met him again after that… but from what I knew of him… he didn't really…" But the bailiff interrupted the proceedings now as he reentered the courtroom… without the caretaker.

"Bailiff! Where's that old caretaker I ordered you to summon?" Judge Spinner asked impatiently.

"Um… he's fled the court house sir. He wasn't in the room when I went back there to fetch him." The bailiff stated.

"WHAT?" Spinner roared. "Well put a warrant out on him, dammit! I don't believe this!"

"Yes sir!" the sergeant radioed into his superiors now, issuing an alert and an arrest warrant to the police for the witness.

"Your honor! We need to have the police secure his shop NOW!" Dusty suggested, rolling to the judge's podium. "If he's escaped, this all but PROVES that he's the murderer! Innocent cars don't run after all…" he looked over at von Karswerth here. "There's valuable evidence in that shop that needs to be secured! We need to prevent him from accessing any of it to destroy it!"

"Right! We'll do that immediately!" Judge Spinner agreed. "It seems your far-fetched theory isn't so far-fetched after all, Mr. Crophopper. The pieces are coming together now. However… until we actually arrest that caretaker… I'm afraid I'm going to have to suspend this trial for now."

"Fine by me!" Dusty put in, relieved he'd managed to pull this off.

"Very well then! Until this suspicious caretaker can be arrested, I'm suspending this trial! Court adjourned!" Spinner slapped his gavel down and dismissed the proceedings.

"You did it, Larry!" Dusty praised, going up to him now as Blackthorn joined them.

"Hey Thorny!" Larry greeted Blackthorn with a grin. "Yeah! I did save your tail, didn't I?"

"Uhh… well… yes… you did." Dusty said, noting that Larry hadn't learned humility in all these years.

"Crophopper… we'll finish our conversation at the detention center… and… I need to tell you… about a nightmare I've been having… more like a memory… of a murder…" Blackthorn told him reluctantly.

"A memory? Nightmare?" Dusty asked worriedly.

"Yes… but not here… at the detention center… come see me… I'll explain everything." The cops began escorting Blackthorn away now as Dusty nodded at him in understanding.

"I have to do something before I go see him… catch up later? I owe you a drink at least!" Dusty said in gratitude to Larry. "You confirmed my theory!"

"Sure thing, Dustmeister! You better not forget to call!"

"I won't…" Dusty chuckled, shaking his front. "Anyway… see you soon."

Turning away, he managed to chase down Blackthorn before he'd left the court to obtain Detective Crawford's number from him. Shortly after, he was dialing the detective, who answered on the second ring. "Crawford! It's Crophopper! I need you to look at a safe in the boat shop at Cord Lake! It has a four-digit combination! Try putting in 1228!" Dusty suggested, 1228 being the date of DC-6. "Let me know what you find in there! Also there's a photo of a Corvette on the wall named Polly! I need you to obtain that for me as well! I can prove Blackthorn's innocence… but I'm gonna need whatever's in that safe and that picture before the prosecution gets their wheels on it! Thanks!" Dusty hung up now, sighing happily as the relief from his earlier rush was leaving him now. He'd done it! They weren't out of the woods yet, but they were getting close! He could taste it! He was SO close to figuring this all out! Just a few more hurdles to clear and he'd zoom across the finish line with Blackthorn in tow!

* * *

At the detention center, Dusty carried with him what he considered pay dirt. The police had found a letter inside the safe detailing how the caretaker could take revenge on the two cars "that had ruined his life." It explained in detail exactly what Dusty had outlined in court: invite the two of them to the lake, kill Firestone, pretend to be him, prepare his engine block for immersion, buy an inflatable life raft and wear it under his chassis, and then proceed to fire two shots to create witnesses. It was all there… and all but proved the caretaker as the murderer now… the only thing left was to find him… but the curious thing was… who had written this letter? That was the big mystery… there was a puppet master out there… pulling the strings behind this whole revenge scheme. The letter was unsigned, and the police currently had no leads.

The first order of business was showing Blackthorn the letter. As the prosecutor read it, his expression didn't change from one of deep thoughtfulness and contemplation. "Any idea who this caretaker really is?" Dusty asked now.

"Hmph… if I had to guess… I'd say he's John Fury… the car accused of killing my father years ago. The court bailiff." Blackthorn stated.

"That's what I thought too. But why revenge? How was his life ruined?" Dusty asked. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Hmph… Crophopper… his life WAS ruined. Being accused of murder is a serious thing. He lost his job as a court bailiff after that… and his fiancée… I don't remember her name… committed suicide during his trial. He was left a shattered car after that…"

"Polly…" Dusty whispered now, knowing the connection to the Corvette and Fury. "Oh my gosh… but what about Firestone? How did Firestone ruin his life?"

"I'm not sure… but from what I know about Firestone… he didn't really care about his clients. He was only out for his own record. He'd do anything to get a win… he didn't really believe in his clients' innocence. He just wanted them acquitted. It's possible he pressured Fury into acting insane to get him off the hook."

"And he'd have to pretend to be insane for the rest of his life…." Dusty concluded. "Yeah… I can see why Fury might resent Firestone for that tactic. Do you think Fury killed your father?" the firefighter asked now.

"I… don't think so…" Blackthorn trailed off here now.

"Then who?" Dusty asked, confused.

Blackthorn stared past Dusty, looking at the wall behind him. "I need to tell you about my nightmare Crophopper… something I've never revealed to ANYONE ever before…"

"Well.. you don't have to…"

"It started when we entered that elevator… the earthquake struck… it went like this…"

* * *

The elevator doors dinged, and Simon eagerly charged into the lift, his father following close behind. "Hold it! Hold that please!" the shout came from court bailiff John Fury, the Plymouth revving his engine to catch up as Gregory pushed his tire out to hold the doors open. "Thanks Mr. Blackthorn! Sorry about your loss, today. You proved he was using tampered evidence but you STILL couldn't get your acquittal… tough break." Fury commented as the doors closed and they began to descend to the ground floor.

"Yes well… it's something at least. I can only hope to do better next time." Gregory confessed. They only descended two floors however when a violent rumbling suddenly struck the building, throwing Simon back against the wall as Fury called out in surprise.

"HOLY CRAP!" he shouted, the tremors tossing him violently against the elevator doors, jarring his gun out of its holster on his hubcap and causing it to slide across the floor towards Simon as the elevator shook back and forth in the shaft, bobbing dangerously up and down. Gregory moved to protect his son, pushing him against the wall as the lights went out and the elevator stopped dead two floors down, trapping them as the earthquake continued to rumble. Simon closed his eyes, thinking for all the world that he'd soon be plummeting to his death inside the confined prison.

But the cables held… and the tremors subsided… they were safe… safe but trapped. Already Simon could sense the lack of air circulation in here… the fans had stopped with the lights. "Father?" Simon asked, looking up at him.

"It'll be OK, Simon. It'll be OK." Gregory reassured his son, patting him now. "Just stay against that wall… OK? They'll come for us soon."

"Oh crap! OH CRAP!" Fury said in a choked voice, starting to panic. "Oh crap! I can't stay here! I need to get out! I need to get out!" he called, slamming on the doors. "HELP! HELP US!"

"Calm down!" Gregory urged. "We're stuck for now… just conserve your oxygen… it's gonna get slim in here real soon."

"Oh crap! No! I-I'm engaged! I can't die in here!" Fury shouted, slamming against the doors again. "HELP!" he called again.

"Stop that! You're going to wear yourself out! We need to conserve our energy! Just calm down!" Gregory urged again.

"Right… right… oh crap… I can't die here!" Fury whined.

"You won't… just relax… calm down…" Gregory managed to calm the bailiff down enough that he would wait patiently… but it didn't last long. Soon, Simon's head began to spin… he felt like he was on a tilt-a-whirl, going around and around as the lack of oxygen was making him sleepy. He felt something touching his front wheels… putting his tires on it, he could feel it was a gun… where had that come from?

Fury was panicking again though… the lack of oxygen starting to get him. "We need to get outta here… it's been too long! They aren't coming for us! We need to get outta here!"

"Calm down!" Gregory stated again. "Just… look I'm passing out too… OK? We need to conserve our energy…"

"Conserve energy… right…" Fury agreed, then looked over at the defense attorney. "But you… you're cutting off my oxygen… you're stealing it… I'm engaged… I can't die here… stop stealing my oxygen…" he began driving over to Gregory now, causing Simon to perk up.

"You're crazy…" Gregory wheezed. "Just stay still… conserve…"

"No… no… stop it! You're cutting off my oxygen! I'll cut you off!" Fury said in a crazed panic as he shoved his wheel over Gregory's mouth.

"Mmmmph!" Gregory called, struggling now as he began pushing back against the bailiff. "Get off!" Gregory managed to call out as he got the tire away from his mouth before Fury pushed it back on.

"I'll cut you off! Save my air!" Fury responded.

"Stop it! Get away from him!" Simon called, his head swimming. "Stop it! Leave my father alone! Stop it!" Driving up to them now, he tried to push Fury, but the angry bailiff shoved him roughly backwards, knocking him back against the wall.

"Get off me you damn brat!" Fury yelled in a weak voice.

"No! Leave him alone! Leave my father alone!" Simon felt the gun beneath his wheels again… picking it up, he was desperate… and not thinking clearly. "STOP IT! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" he yelled, throwing the gun at Fury. It struck something… but what it struck in the dark was impossible to tell. A shot rang out, and a terrible scream filled the elevator as Simon's expulsion of energy caused him to finally lose consciousness… that terrible scream surrounding him as the darkness claimed him….

* * *

Dusty stared at Blackthorn, horrified. "Blackthorn…" he said softly, tears springing into his eyes.

"I killed my father…" Blackthorn said softly.

"No… NO! Don't say that! You didn't!" Dusty protested. "It's just a nightmare!"

"Nightmare… or memory?" Blackthorn whispered, not looking at the plane.

"No…" Dusty responded hoarsely. "Blackthorn look at me… you DIDN'T kill your father! Fury did! You didn't do this! The gun was fired twice! That first bullet could've gone anywhere! I saw the case files!"

"I don't believe you…" Blackthorn stated, his bottom lip trembling. "That scream… it came RIGHT after the gun went off…"

"Is this… is this what you've hidden from me for all those years? The pain? The reason you never contacted me again?" Dusty was practically sobbing now, the tears rolling down his front.

"Yes…" was all Blackthorn said as he closed his eyes and looked away. "I killed my father…"

"I… I…" Dusty sniffed heavily here, crying as he tried to get himself under control. "No… no you didn't… you have to let that go…" Dusty said in a cracked voice. "Please… please…"

"I can't…" Blackthorn whispered, eyes still closed.

"Blackthorn…" Dusty said, trying to blink away the tears. "Blackthorn please… just look at me… I'm SO sorry… I wanted to be that friend for you… I wanted to repay you for what you did for me… you didn't do this… maybe someone else did… we don't have all the evidence…" he tried to reach his friend now… to be that support, but he could see it wasn't working.

"Just go… I told you what I wanted to tell you… you and I weren't friends after that day Crophopper… I never wanted to see anyone who reminded me of my old life… ever again… then you came back… and you brought all those memories with you… memories I wanted to forget forever…"

"Blackthorn… Simon… I am GOING to help you deal with this, OK? I'm going to solve that murder!" Dusty insisted through his tears.

"The statute expires tomorrow… it'll be forever sealed…"

"I'm going to get to the bottom of this! And… I know where to start…" Dusty said, sniffing again as he tried to clear his nose. "I'll prove you innocent of BOTH murders. Just… stay strong… OK? I'm not abandoning you… I'm going to help you. Don't give up… stay strong…" Dusty said as he turned away from the glass now. He HAD to help Blackthorn! He had one lead to go on… the letter written to John Fury. Whoever had written it had intimate details about DC-6. If it wasn't John Fury… it was whoever had told him to take revenge. Whoever had written that letter to Fury was the REAL murderer… they had killed Gregory Blackthorn years ago… and now they were taunting his son… framing him for a murder he didn't commit years later.

Dusty would get to the bottom of this… he would find out who wrote that letter… he would clear Blackthorn of both charges… he would help his friend. He would find this killer… and he would bring them to justice.


	12. Chapter 12: Those Who Ruined My Life

Dusty was once again back in the law offices of Marvin Crosswind, except this time, he had very specific questions for the head attorney. The helicopter once more came out of the offices, hopping up to him as he looked him over. "You're back. With new information, I take it."

"Yes… Mr. Crosswind, I now know almost everything about DC-6. You mentioned there were only two who could've committed the murder… your client… and the other is Simon Blackthorn. You think Blackthorn did it, don't you?" Dusty asked here.

"I think it's within the realm of possibility given his story." Crosswind admitted.

"Realm of possibility, or definitely the case?" Dusty asked now.

"… definitely the case." Crosswind confessed.

"Why not Fury? I mean Firestone didn't believe in his clients or their innocence… you can't deny that. He would do anything for an acquittal… including pressure Fury into acting insane to get himself cleared of charges. That would lead Fury to resenting your employee quite a lot, I'd say." Dusty speculated here, and Crosswind's face fell.

"Yes… you're right. I can't deny that either." The defense attorney agreed.

"So… I'm investigating the possibility of a third person involved in this case… or a fourth I guess, counting the victim. I don't believe Blackthorn killed his father… even by accident. I think there's more to it… this letter for example…" Dusty produced the letter now. "It was written to your client, John Fury, instructing very specifically on how to take revenge on Simon Blackthorn and Robert Firestone. Can you tell me who might've written it?" Dusty asked here.

Crosswind studied the writing, glancing at it as he frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Come on Mr. Crosswind… you've been in this business a long time…. ANYONE… no matter how remote… ANYONE at all? Maybe… maybe even… Manfred von Karswerth?"

Crosswind's eyes raised at this here. "Hmmm! Actually now that you mention it… it vaguely resembles his style."

"Really?" Dusty asked, but wasn't fully surprised. "And tell me… why would von Karswerth want revenge on Blackthorn?"

"Heh… you're really asking me that?" Crosswind asked here. "Manfred von Karswerth is someone who prides himself on perfection… and now that you bring this up, Gregory Blackthorn WAS working a case against von Karswerth the day he was killed. He was the FIRST attorney get to von Karswerth penalized for using evidence that had been tampered with. It was the first time von Karswerth ever received such a penalization. And to my knowledge… it's been the only penalty he's received his entire life."

"Really?" Dusty asked again, finding this fascinating. "So he was at the courthouse the day of the murder?"

"Yes… he was. And… it is funny too. He took a six-month vacation immediately after Blackthorn was murdered. Everyone thought this strange at the time… I mean he'd never taken such lengthy breaks before… and it seemed rather pointless to be honest with you." Crosswind confirmed.

"A six month vacation…" Dusty said thoughtfully, looking off into the distance.

"It was very strange… that was the only vacation he'd also ever taken his entire career. Never took one before that… or after for that matter." Crosswind explained.

"Huh… six months? That's a LONG time to take off..." Dusty stated distantly.

"Of course it is. Who takes a six-month vacation after all?" Crosswind asked.

"Yeah… hmmm… I wonder…" Dusty said now, tapping a pontoon on the ground thoughtfully. "Anyway, I think that clears a few things up. Unfortunately it seems your client is now truly guilty of murder." He concluded.

"Unfortunately it seems you are right. You know, you should gain access to the case files of DC-6 if you're going to use them in your upcoming trial. They're available of course now that they seem relevant." Crosswind reminded Dusty.

"Yeah… good idea. I think I'll go do that." Dusty agreed. "Thanks for your time Mr. Crosswind." He told the attorney, and turned to begin heading out to meet up with Skipper. Perhaps another look at those DC-6 files was indeed in order…

* * *

As Skipper and Dusty arrived at the police archives, Dusty prepared to check in. "Hi! I was here yesterday looking at the DC-6 files. I'd like to do so again." He stated to the chief of the archives.

"Well your pass was only good for yesterday." The chief informed him. "However, so long as a prosecutor is in the room containing your file, you're good to go and as it turns out…" the chief tapped a few things into his computer. "You're in luck. Prosecutor von Karswerth is already in there. You can proceed."

"Wait… Prosecutor von Karswerth?" Dusty asked, his oil pressure suddenly rising as he heard this. "He is?"

"Yep… seems he's doing some research on what you are. DC-6." The chief replied.

Dusty looked at Skipper now, who stared knowingly at him. "Crap!" Dusty uttered, feeling this could be very bad… especially if his suspicions were confirmed. "Let's go!" Dusty led the way, heading towards the room he knew the DC-6 files were located in. Rounding corners, the plane could feel his engine racing, even though it wasn't even on as he practically tore into the room, but his heart sank as he could see the filing cabinet already open. Rolling up to it, he glanced inside, only to see the files were gone… causing him to kick the cabinets angrily with his pontoon. "We're too late! Dammit!"

"Oh I'm sorry… looking for these?" Manfred von Karswerth suddenly rolled into view from behind some cabinets, smirking as file folders were clearly visible in his door.

"What are you doing with those?" Dusty asked, wheeling to face him.

"Research." Von Karswerth responded simply. "Now then… I think I'll be on my way…" he didn't seem to want to stick around, and began making his way for the exit.

"You're involved in DC-6! I know you are!" Dusty challenged him, causing the Maybach Zeppelin to stop.

"Hmph… wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination, now would it?" the old lawyer asked.

"You were penalized that day… Gregory Blackthorn got you penalized!" Dusty stated. "The only one you'd ever received in your career!"

"So what? It meant nothing… he died." Von Karswerth said callously.

"And this letter… did you write this?" Dusty demanded, producing it now.

Von Karswerth studied it, then frowned. "Hm… I asked Fury to burn that stupid letter… seems he kept it like the fool he is."

Dusty gasped here. "You DID write this? Then that means…" but von Karswerth cut him off.

"May I have it?" the Maybach asked.

"What? Of course not!" Dusty stated, but as he was pulling it back, von Karswerth suddenly produced a taser on one of his hubcaps, which shot out and connected squarely with Dusty's nose. "Aggggh!" Dusty cried out as the current slammed into him, sending his body into convulsions as the electricity coursed through his frame, overloading his brain as he started to slide into unconsciousness.

"Why you little…!" Skipper snapped, moving towards von Karswerth now, who promptly turned his taser on the old Corsair. But despite the electric jolt, Skipper persisted, charging right for the lawyer and attempting to rip the files out of his door. Von Karswerth backed up, attempting to fight off the charging plane as blue electric lines danced over Skipper's body, frying him as he moved his wing out, trying to swat the files. He barely managed to touch them as he finally passed out from the overwhelming shocks, slumping forward as Dusty panted, struggling to stay awake.

Von Karswerth hovered over him now as his vision blurred, and he tried to hold on to the letter, but he felt it plucked from his grasp. "No… no…" Dusty whispered.

"Too bad… but don't worry. Even if you beat me tomorrow… I'll still win…" were the last words Dusty could hear as he finally blacked out, becoming dead to the world…

* * *

Light slowly forced its way into Dusty's mind as he slid his eyes open. "Huh?" he asked weakly, noticing Skipper nearby, who was also coming round. "Skip?" he said in a thick voice.

"Hey… Dusty… I tried…" Skipper murmured. "He's gone…"

"How long have we been out?" Dusty asked groggily.

"About 45 minutes I think…"

"No… no!" Dusty whispered, shaking himself awake. "No!" he called, slamming his pontoon onto the ground. "He took everything dammit! All the DC-6 files… all the evidence… the letter… it's all gone!" Dusty bemoaned. "Dammit!"

"Not everything… I swatted something out of the folder before I passed out… look over there." Skipper nodded in the direction he indicated, and Dusty could see a single bullet lying on the floor.

"What's that?" Dusty asked.

"The bullet they took out of Gregory Blackthorn." Skipper answered. "I looked at it yesterday in the file."

The bullet was in a plastic ziplock evidence bag, keeping it safe from the outside environment. Dusty rolled over to it now. "Huh… the bullet, eh?"

"Yeah… it's all we got. Sorry I didn't do more." Skipper apologized.

"No… it's OK… ugh! I'm gonna prove von Karswerth had something to do with Gregory Blackthorn's death! He's hiding something! He KNEW about DC-6 because he confessed to writing that letter!"

"Lotta good that letter does us now… von Karswerth probably destroyed it." Skipper muttered.

"Yeah… I know… but he said Fury! That old caretaker IS John Fury! I just hope…" But his phone was ringing now, so he paused to answer it. "Yes? This is Crophopper."

"Crophopper, it's Detective Crawford! We got that slimy boat rental shop owner! Arrested him trying to leave the state. We're gonna bring him into the courthouse tomorrow. Fortunately, our highway patrol boys received his warrant in time. He's still acting like a confused old car though… claimed he thought he had nothing further to do with the case, so decided to 'leave' can you believe that?" Crawford asked.

"Oh hey! Great! That's good news at least! Um… did you get the picture from the shop?" Dusty asked hopefully.

"We secured it." Crawford assured him.

"Great! That'll help prove something tomorrow! Ugh… I only wish I had good news on my end but… well tomorrow's gonna be the race to the finish!" he declared. "I'm not going down without a fight!"

"Right… well good to know. Anyway, see you tomorrow!" Crawford hung up now.

"Why didn't you report von Karswerth?" Skipper asked.

"Why bother? It won't do us any good… he'll have destroyed everything related to DC-6 anyway by now. No… no I'm going to beat him tomorrow in court! I'm going to prove that not only was he behind this murder… he had something to do with Gregory Blackthorn's murder too! He's going down! This is personal now! I'm giving my all for Blackthorn tomorrow! It's do or die time!" Dusty declared with confidence.

* * *

The court felt tense, even for Dusty. Normally one who wasn't fazed by circumstances, the firefighter had to admit, he was nervous about this one. Surprisingly, von Karswerth seemed incredibly calm and poised. He never even glanced at Dusty once, and merely smirked ahead as Judge Spinner arrived to open the proceedings.

There too was John Fury, forced onto the witness stand after his arrest last night. He still appeared to be a dopey old car, but Dusty knew better now; he knew just what he was up against.

"So… why did you run, witness?" Judge Spinner asked darkly.

"Oh I needed to buy more noodles for my shop… I thought my part in the trial was over and done with… I didn't see any need to stick around… so I left." The Plymouth offered a shrug here, as if it were no big deal.

"Yes… and we're prepared to get to the bottom of this." Von Karswerth stated with a smirk. "So let's have the defense cross-examine him… as I'm sure Mr. Crophopper is over-revving his engine just to do this." The Maybach glanced over at Dusty now, and the firefighter narrowed his eyes. Was this another trap? Why was von Karswerth so eager to let him proceed? It almost seemed as if he wanted Dusty to succeed… but why? Von Karswerth's words to him last night chilled him… "Even if you beat me tomorrow… I'll still win…" What did he mean by that?

"Uh… all right… well first off… I assert that this old caretaker is actually John Fury, primary suspect in the murder of my client's father, Gregory Blackthorn. Let's start by checking his VIN number, and running it against the VIN number of Mr. John Fury." Dusty began.

"Ohhhh too bad, Crophopper. Seems his VIN number was badly burned in a fire he suffered years ago working at a chemical plant. He doesn't have a readable VIN number anymore…" von Karswerth said with mock sadness, frowning and shaking his head as he feigned regret.

Dusty scowled at this. So… this clever car had burned off his own VIN number just to conceal his own identity… what a desperate individual he was. But Dusty wasn't going to give up. "OK fine… we'll prove it another way. The combination to his safe was 1228… the exact date of DC-6… which is also today, by the way. Why ELSE would he have a safe combination with a date so specific to this case?" Dusty asked.

"A meaningless string of numbers that is mere coincidence." Von Karswerth stated with a smirk.

"Perhaps… but there's a pattern… and it starts with these numbers. How about this picture?" Dusty asked now, nodding at the clerk to bring up the picture of Polly Vette, John Fury's former fiancée who'd killed herself during his trial. This time, Fury visibly reacted, his eyes twitching and his mouth contorting as he saw her face up on the screen. "This is Polly Vette, the fiancée of John Fury who tragically killed herself during his trial! And look what's scribbled under the greeting… DC-6! Coincidence Mr. von Karswerth? I think not! This Plyouth IS in fact John Fury!" Dusty challenged now as he glared at the caretaker.

Now the Fury was staring at him, looking like he wanted to burn holes in Dusty's pontoons with his gaze alone. His crazy demeanor was melting, and he looked to be a car completely in control of his own actions, and very cognizant of his surroundings. "All right… fine…" Not only did he look different… he sounded different as well! His voice wasn't airy and distracted… it was lower, gravely, and focused. "I confess it! I'm sick of this damned charade anyway! 15 years I've been acting like a crazy old car who can't even remember his own name! I'm done with this! Yes… I'm John Fury… and yes… I shot and killed Robert Firestone…" The court broke out in gasps and murmurs now, as everyone began talking amongst themselves.

"Order! Order in the court!" Spinner slapped his gavel down multiple times. "Order! This court WILL come to order!"

Dusty looked right at Fury now, who glared back at him. "So… why?"

"Hmph… you ask why? My life was ruined by that trial, and I didn't even DO anything! I wanted revenge on those who'd ruined my life! Your client testified that I had argued with his father the day of the murder… making ME look like the guilty one!" Fury snapped, shooting his gaze at Blackthorn. "And that heartless attorney I had! He didn't care about me, or my story! He didn't believe I was innocent! All he cared about was winning! He told me to act insane as that was the only way to clear my name… so I did… and I paid for it… I paid for it like you couldn't believe…" Fury blinked his eyes rapidly here to clear a tear. "My gorgeous fiancée… Polly… she thought I'd lost my mind… and I couldn't tell her because I couldn't risk it getting out! I wanted to… so badly… but I couldn't… and then I'd heard she'd killed herself in shame… or horror over what had happened to me, I don't know. But she died… and so did I that day. Ever since then I've been having to live as a stupid car who doesn't know his name, thinks he sees his 'children' everywhere, and thinks he owns a noodle shop! It's been humiliating, mind-numbing… and has made me feel dead. So yes… when a letter arrived at my shop instructing me just HOW to take revenge on those who'd ruined my life… I did so. I killed that damned lawyer and framed Blackthorn for it. And I don't regret it. My life's been over ever since that day… and nothing I do brings it back. I'm done with this charade… I'd rather live in jail than live as a crazy old car who doesn't know his own name."

Dusty's face fell here, and he rolled up to the witness stand. "I'm sorry things worked out the way they did… I truly am. I can only imagine the pain you went through since then…" Dusty was truly saddened by his story, and gave him a pained expression. He couldn't really blame this car entirely… what a horrible life he must've had to live after all… hiding who he was from the world… losing everything he had in life before this… it was awful to think about. "Did you shoot Gregory Blackthorn?"

"No!" Fury snapped in reply. "I've been saying that since day one! I did NOT KILL GREGORY BLACKTHORN! No one believes me!" he growled, yelling that last bit.

Dusty gave him a once over, then nodded. "I believe you…" He said softly.

"You do?" Fury asked, confused here.

"Yes… I believe someone else did it… and I'm sorry, once again. Truly I am. I only wish life had been different for you… you seemed like a nice guy before everything went south." Dusty told him quietly.

"Hmph… yeah well… your client's off the hook. I did it… I'm confessing." Fury said now.

"Who put you up to it? Who wrote that letter?" Dusty pressed here.

"Hell if I know… I didn't question it." Fury stated simply.

"Thanks for being honest…" Dusty told him softly now.

"Well… it feels like the first time I've been honest in 15 years, to tell you the truth… no pun intended. I feel… like I'm not hiding anymore. Like I'm finally me…" Fury confessed.

"Well… I'm glad it's feeling better for you at least. Mr. von Karswerth? He just confessed. Is the state ready to dismiss charges?" Dusty asked the prosecutor here.

The Maybach had an odd smile on his face, as if he wasn't concerned in the slightest. "Oh dear… it seems I have no choice… wow… my first loss… but it seems I was no match for you, Mr. Crophopper." He was grinning here, but why? Nothing in his voice was sincere… what was going on here? "Your honor… it seems I've been beaten… my perfect record… up in smoke… state wishes to dismiss all char-"

"WAIT!" Von Karswerth grinned wickedly here as he heard Simon Blackthorn shout out. "Wait!" Blackthorn drove forward now. "Your honor… I wish to confess to a murder!"

"What?" Dusty gasped, turning to face him now. "Blackthorn what are you…?"

"The statute on DC-6 expires in only a few hours… I'm confessing to the murder of my father, Gregory Blackthorn!" Dusty stared at Blackthorn horrified. "Sorry Crophopper…" Blackthorn looked at the firefighter now. "Sorry for undoing all your hard work… but I have to…"

"No… NO!" Dusty shouted. "Blackthorn this is von Karswerth! He's manipulating you! DON'T do this! You didn't kill your father!" Dusty insisted, looking at von Karswerth here, who was sneering evilly. "Your honor I object to this!"

"I have to Crophopper… I've lived with that guilt my whole life…"

"It's JUST a nightmare, Simon! You DIDN'T kill your father! I don't believe you did! I'm not letting you take the fall for that! You need to trust on me this!" Dusty insisted.

"Well now… isn't this the interesting predicament? Your client confessing to the murder of his father?" von Karswerth drove forward now, still sneering. "Let's have a quick trial then! You and me, Crophopper! It seems your client isn't in the clear after all… and my record is intact." He stated confidently. "We still have a few hours to clear this matter up before the statute expires! Let's do it! Here and now! You and me, Crophopper, with the life of your client hanging in the balance! What do you say?" the Maybach asked as he grinned.

"I…" Dusty looked at Blackthorn now, who only stared at him regretfully. "I accept!" he said now, his face hardening and his eyes narrowing. "My client is innocent of this crime! Just like he was innocent of the last crime! And I'll prove it! I will put his nightmares to rest once and for all! And I… will take you down!" Dusty said that last part under his breath, huffing it towards von Karswerth with malice.

"Oh game on, Crophopper. I'd like to see you prove his innocence… because the REAL show… starts right NOW."


	13. Chapter 13: Race to the Finish

**Author's Note**: so this is NOT the conclusion of the story, but it is the conclusion of part 1! Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm gonna take a short break before starting part 2, as I want to wait till after my interview on Wednesday before continuing this story. :) Part 2 will deal with the introduction of a new character as well as Dusty confronting a new enemy and one of his toughest challenges yet which will shake his belief in volo pro veritas to its core, and require his receiving help from an unexpected source. Part 3 will deal primarily with Dusty and Blade having to confront a dark shadow of Blade's past, and Dusty will need help from friends AND foes in order to resolve this latest challenge to try and help Blade banish the demons not just from his past... but from someone else's as well.

**Back to the Story**

"So… if you could testify as to why you think you killed your father, Mr. Blackthorn." Judge Spinner started off the DC-6 trial now.

"Very well…" Blackthorn was on the witness stand now, and cleared his throat. "I uh… I had cone to the court that day to observe one of my father's trials. When we went to leave… an earthquake struck… trapping us in an elevator. My father and Mr. Fury lost their composure… and began to argue. I wanted to stop them… Mr. Fury was attacking my father… and I felt something heavy at me wheels. I picked it up, and threw it at what I thought was Mr. Fury. A single gunshot rang out… and then a scream… a terrible scream that froze my oil and chilled my chassis… it haunts me to this day… I killed my father… I killed him…" Blackthorn choked, fighting back the tears as the court listened to his tale of accidental murder and anguish.

Dusty sniffed here, and shook his head. It wasn't true… it couldn't be. Something else was going on here… and he would get to the bottom of it. "You may cross-examine, Mr. Crophopper." Judge Spinner stated here, his face having fallen at the story.

"Right… Mr. Blackthorn you said one gunshot… but the gun was fired twice… that indicates there might in fact be a third car involved… the REAL killer! He could've fired the shot that killed your father! I mean there was a bullet hole in the elevator doors. Maybe that's the shot that was fired when you threw the gun?" Dusty suggested, but von Karswerth pounced.

"Objection! You can't prove any of that! The gun being fired a second time is irrelevant! There was only ONE bullet found at the scene, Mr. Crophopper! The police swept that place clean, INCLUDING the elevator shaft! Nary a trace of this second bullet was found! The ONLY bullet on the scene was the one extracted from Gregory Blackthorn himself! Simon Blackthorn KILLED his father!" von Karswerth stated for the court now.

"Mmmm…" Dusty's brow furrowed, and he glared at the floor. He was right… no second bullet… but why? The gun HAD to have been fired twice that day! Fury hadn't fired it… and… where had that bullet gone then? Why wasn't it found? No… he couldn't be wrong about Blackthorn… could he? He glanced over at Simon here, who was looking down in mute resignation. Dammit… he was so close…

"Mr. Crophopper… do you have nothing else?" Judge Spinner asked, glancing at the clock. "We're running out of time… can you prove this second bullet even existed?"

He felt von Karswerth's eyes glaring at him now… laser beams as they dared him to say something. "I…" I CAN'T be wrong about Blackthorn! Where would the bullet have gone? It had to exist… so think Dusty… think… Blackthorn throws the gun… it maybe hits Fury and goes off… it then strikes the elevator doors… and does what? If it didn't strike Gregory Blackthorn… where did it go? Think Dusty…

The hallway… but no… the police would've found it… he HAD to prove it existed though to make his case. If he couldn't… everything was sunk. The SECOND bullet had killed Gregory Blackthorn… not the first… but where was the first? Closing his eyes, he felt himself getting weak on his pontoons as he tried to focus. Wait… wait… of COURSE!

"The first bullet passed through the elevator doors… and the killer took it with them…" Dusty began slowly here.

"What? Why take the bullet with them?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"Because… because…" Dusty's eyes swept the floor rapidly now, looking for answers. "Because… they had no choice!" he said now, looking up.

"They had no choice?" von Karswerth smirked.

"Yes! The killer took it with them because Blackthorn HAD SHOT THE KILLER!" Dusty exclaimed now, his propeller spinning rapidly as he could see it now. "The killer had been standing outside the elevator doors and was struck by the first bullet! THAT'S the scream Blackthorn heard… NOT his father being shot!" Dusty was trembling visibly here as he turned to von Karswerth. "And… and YOU were the one who was shot that day!" he stammered. "You took a six-month vacation RIGHT after that day… and you never had before that! Why? Because you were recovering from your wound!"

von Karswerth twitched as the court erupted in cacophony now. Dusty narrowed his eyes as he saw von Karswerth's right wheel jolt backwards and touch his side… an odd tick if he ever saw one. But the prosecutor began to laugh now, sneering at the plane as he shook his head. "Hah! Can you even prove I was shot? Listen to him? He's delusional! Look at how he's shaking! Your honor, this is nonsense!" von Karswerth challenged.

Dusty continued rattling, as he couldn't control his tremors. "You wouldn't leave a paper trail by getting the bullet removed… that'd leave evidence behind… it's STILL IN YOU, isn't it?" Dusty asked now.

"Hah! Go ahead and prove it's still in me!" von Karswerth shot back.

"We'll scan you! Right now! We can do that!" Dusty declared, still shaking, though he was growing more confident now. "If you're innocent you'll submit to the scan!"

"I refuse! It's invasive of my privacy and has nothing to do with this case! This is a wild theory of yours… nothing more!" von Karswerth snapped.

"Mr. von Karswerth… we MUST conclude this case before the statute expires…" Judge Spinner put in now, narrowing his eyes. "The defense is making sense… if you refuse to submit to a scan, I'll subpoena you here and now and MAKE you submit!"

"Grrr!" von Karswerth glared daggers at the judge now, but Spinner wasn't backing down.

"Bring in a scanner!" Judge Spinner ordered, and a criminal scanner the courts often used for security screening was wheeled in within a matter of minutes. Von Karswerth backed away, snarling, but could see he had little choice in this matter. He defiantly readied himself, and stood still as the scanner swept his body, and it suddenly beeped as a bullet was found embedded in his lower chassis, just behind his right wheel… the tick from before!

"Hmph! So what? I was shot! It doesn't prove your theory!" von Karswerth still had another card to play, it seemed. "I was shot years before! And you can't prove that I wasn't! I wasn't shot that day! It happened years before! You're insane!"

Dusty smiled now. "There IS a way to prove it!" he declared now. He went over to Skipper and winked at the Corsair. "Thanks for the save, Skip!" He pulled out the bullet from Gregory Blackthorn's body, and held it up for everyone to see. It was the one Skipper had managed to knock from the case files last night. "We yank that bullet out of you and compare it with THIS bullet! The one that killed Gregory Blackthorn! If the ballistics match… you're sunk, Mr. von Karswerth! YOU'RE the killer who shot and killed my client's father! And we can prove it RIGHT NOW!" Dusty yelled, glaring at the Maybach here as he felt his confidence surge.

Von Karswerth was practically seething now, a crazed look in his eyes as he stared at the bullet in the bag. He was breathing heavily, and looking like he might explode into a million pieces. "No… no… NO! NO! NO! NO! ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGH!" he shrieked, letting out an earsplitting scream as Blackthorn's eyes widened in recognition.

"It was YOU!" Blackthorn shouted, driving down from the witness stand now, fire in his eyes. "YOU were the one who screamed! I'd know that sound ANYWHERE! YOU killed my father!"

"Yes… yes I did…" von Karswerth proclaimed in a raspy voice, almost triumphantly. "Your father… RUINED my perfect record!" von Karswerth hissed. "He got me PENALIZED that day! I could hardly think after I'd left court! I went to the records room in a rage… I lost track of time… and then… then I was suddenly in the dark… the earth was shaking… and when I regained my senses… the building was cloaked in darkness… I made my way to the elevator… and then… then YOU SHOT ME!" von Karswerth shouted at him, sounding unnatural as his voice was raised and his eyes blazed. "YOU SHOT ME! I screamed as I recoiled… I didn't understand… and then the power came back on moments later… the elevator doors opened… and I saw it… three cars lying unconscious… and that lawyer… your father…" von Karswerth said with disgust. "The one who'd RUINED my perfection! And the gun… the gun at his wheels… just lying there… calling to me… calling to me to take revenge on the car who'd ruined my life… it was just lying there… so I picked it up… and I took aim… and I KILLED your father!" the Maybach snarled. "And I took you in… to raise you… to see you fall later on… I hated your whole FAMILY! Your farther ruined my record and you ruined my body! So I plotted your ruin all those years… it was glorious! You as my 'son!' I taught you to hate criminals… to crush defense attorneys… so that NO ONE would help you when I executed my plan. It was PERFECT! PERFECT! BUT THIS WORHTLESS CROP DUSTER!" von Karswerth yelled in Dusty's direction, but Dusty stood firm, eyes narrowed as he stared von Karswerth down.

"You are an insane, sick, car!" Dusty said with steely resolution. "You RUINED my friend! You TOOK HIM AWAY FROM ME! YOU killed his father! You twisted him into something he was NEVER supposed to be! And you… you ruined a friendship that meant EVERYTHING to me!" Dusty said, tearing up now, as he tried to contain himself. "All for perfection? You are INSANE! I normally don't hate anyone Mr. von Karswerth but you… YOU are LOWER than scum!"

von Karswerth suddenly shrieked in that familiar yell, and charged towards Dusty, but a flash of black interposed itself between the firefighter and the Maybach, and Blackthorn took the brunt of the blow. Von Karswerth recoiled, shocked at this, before the court bailiffs closed in and tasered him from multiple directions, causing him to cry out and sink low onto his chassis with a sigh.

"Bailiffs! Escort this sorry scrap heap out of my courtroom!" Judge Spinner ordered. "Mr. Blackthorn… I hereby clear you of ALL charges… since the prosecution is currently indisposed. Wretched vehicle!" Spinner glared at von Karswerth as the bailiffs began to drag him away. "You are cleared of the murder of Robert Firestone… AND of Gregory Blackthorn. The DC-6 case is hereby closed!" Spinner banged his gavel down now, and the court broke out into cheers.

Dusty looked up at the cheering faces, reminded of how he felt the first time he rolled on out onto the JFK Airport tarmac and was met with the cheering crowds. He looked over at Blackthorn now, who simply gazed back at him with just the barest hints of a smile on his features. But the thing that stood out most to Dusty was how… relaxed Blackthorn looked. He appeared more at ease than any other time Dusty had seen him before this trial… not counting 15 years ago. He finally seemed at peace… and the look on his face was worth the 15 years Dusty hadn't seen his best friend. It was encapsulated in this instant. He knew in that moment… he'd finally repaid his friend.

"YEAAAAAAAH! YOU DID IT DUSTERINO!" the shout came from Larry as he came roaring up to the two now, a wide grin on his face. "You saved Thorny! You did it! That was amazing! Hey can I keep you on retainer as my lawyer? I might need you after all…" Larry partly joked here.

"Haha! Maybe… I dunno. I'm still a firefighter first and foremost." Dusty chuckled.

"Oh and uh… here Thorny! Congratulations!" Larry produced an envelope for the Maserati now, who gazed at it curiously. "Open it!" Larry urged.

Blackthorn did so, and pulled out 38 bucks. "Huh…" the Maserati simply stated as Dusty's eyes popped.

"Wait… 38 dollars… Larry… YOU WERE THE ONE WHO STOLE HIS MONEY?" Dusty yelled in shock, disbelief, anger, and something bordering on murderous.

"Well… uh… see that is…"

"Relax, Crophopper." Blackthorn stated. "I knew all along."

"You KNEW?" Dusty squeaked, turning to look at the Maserati.

"Why ELSE would he have stood up for you in class when no one else did? It made sense to me he was the culprit." Blackthorn explained.

"B-but-but-but!" Dusty stammered here, feeling faint. "YOU WERE THE ONE BEHIND THAT DAY!" He asked the 1990 Camaro.

"Yeah heheh… I was… sorry Duster…" Larry grinned sheepishly, backing away now.

"I WILL NOT FORGIVE THIS!" Dusty roared, charging forward now as Larry yelped and began driving away.

"Hm-hm-hm." Blackthorn chuckled, shaking his head. "He'll forgive him." He said simply to Skipper, who had rolled up now with a wide smile on his face.

"Volo pro veritas…" Skipper said happily as he watched Dusty chase Larry.

"Volo pro veritas… yes…" Blackthorn said softly, trailing off as he looked into the distance. "Finding the truth… the real heart of a case…"

"Hmmm?" Skipper asked, looking over at him now.

"Oh… nothing." Blackthorn responded.

Larry finally rolled up behind Blackthorn now, trying to hide. "Save me, Thorny!"

Dusty, huffing, pulled up to him. "Oh that won't save you!"

"Ok, Crophopper. I think you've made your point." Blackthorn stated, pursing his lips.

"Hey… Blackthorn… aren't you excited that you're off the hook?" Dusty asked now, glancing at him.

"Uhhh… I don't… express excitement well these days, Crophopper." Blackthorn pointed out.

"Try it! Come on! You're among friends!" Dusty reminded him.

"Yeah Thorny! You used to have no problems with that!" Larry joined in. "Just give out a big cheer! Come on! Do it! Do it! Do it!" he chanted.

"Ugh… I see… ahem… WHOOOOOO!" Blackthorn let out a cheer now, then immediately shrunk back down. "I… I feel foolish."

"It's a start." Dusty chuckled here.

"Well I don't know about all of you but… I'm starving." Skipper put in now. "How about a big group dinner? And Dusty… I owe you another dance…"

"Oh! That's right! Oh you guys are in for a treat! We should go someplace that has a stage!" Dusty exclaimed now, unable to suppress a chuckle here.

"Uhh… dance?" Blackthorn asked, confused as Dusty began leading the way.

"You'll see!" was all the firefighter said in response as he headed out of the courtroom

* * *

The serious, throbbing bass sounded out as Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" started up and Skipper rolled out onto the stage of the restaurant they'd chosen. He had a determined, no-nonsense look on his face as he gazed out at the crowd watching him. He adjusted his rudder left and right, swaying his tail to the music and showing the audience he was in fact wearing a brown hula skirt and coconuts on his undercarriage near his wings. The serious music contrasted sharply with the comical display, causing several laughs to start spreading all around… but it was all in good fun. Everyone was here to have a good time, so they took it in stride, smiling and knocking back their drinks and dinner to the humorous display on stage as the Corsair was bathed in blues and purples as he started his dance.

"Oh yeah! It's my life! I ain't gonna live forever!" Skipper sort of sang along to the song, but more talked along with it.

"Haha!" Dusty couldn't suppress his laughter as he grinned at Skipper's display. "I think… we all need to chip in and cover Skipper's dinner and drinks after this!" the firefighter exclaimed.

"Hey! I DID give Thorny his lunch money back!" Larry pointed out here, eliciting another chuckle from Dusty. "He could cover my portion too!"

"Heheh, so you did. Still… what do you say, Blackthorn? A little good deed for this… no doubt difficult performance of his?" Dusty asked the Maserati.

"No doubt difficult… yes." Blackthorn couldn't help but smirk here. "Certainly… we'll chip in." As he gazed down though, the Maserati couldn't help but to let the smirk fade from his features. This felt good but… incredibly strange to him as well. It was alien to be back with his old friends after not having seen them in 15 years. He wasn't exactly certain how to proceed from here. Everything he had grown up knowing was now turned on its head. What was he to do from here? How could he proceed, not knowing what was true anymore?

As the dance continued, Dusty proposed a toast. "So… to your innocence… to new beginnings… and to the hula skirt." Dusty smirked at this last one here as he nodded at Blackthorn and Larry, then looked over at Skipper.

"Toast!" Larry proclaimed, and Blackthorn hesitantly followed suit.

"Cheers." He said with a nod, and all three took their drinks, and Blackthorn found that although things were alien and perhaps not all good, he figured this was something he could perhaps get used to.


	14. Chapter 14: The Death of Ideals

**Author's Note:** And I am back from my break! Part two commences right now! :D

**Six Months Before State Vs. Blackthorn…**

The two cars raced down the highway at blinding speed, their headlights piercing the gloom as they drove side by side. To some, it might look as if the two were drag racing, the roar of their engines bouncing off the concrete walls around them as sped down the freeway. No other cars were about this late at night, and they were alone. One was a sporty red Jaguar F Type, and the other was a still elegant looking Jaguar XJ.

_"That was… no accident… I was drugged… with sleeping pills… I was murdered… by that car…"_

The two cars continued their high-speed driving, but suddenly, one car began to swerve out of line, and slammed into the other car, forcing it towards the concrete barrier. The screech of tires sounded as both cars tried to stop, but it was too late… an explosion erupted as both cars smashed into the concrete barrier on the side of the road, flames bursting forth as the cars burned. One car was totaled instantly, being sandwiched in between the other car and the wall and had no chance of survival… but the second car managed to crawl out of the spreading flames, fire dancing over her body as she screamed in agony.

Turning to look behind her, she wailed helplessly as her sister burned in a raging inferno. She was powerless to help, and tears ran down her face as she watched her sister writhe in agony, and finally lost sight of her as another explosion tore her sister's body apart. "NOOOOOOOO!" she shrieked, slumping as the flames peeled the paint off her chassis and caused her to black out…

_"That's why… I took my revenge… it's only fair… isn't it… Viola?"_

**One Year Later…**

The black painted "crop duster" dove down towards his target, a fleeing brown van as it screeched around a corner. But FBI agent Spray Kane was ready for this, and executed a hard bank to come down on top of his quarry, bringing out his custom sprayer as he buzzed the top of the van's head, unleashing his sprayer's contents right into the eyes of the suspect, causing him to gag as he swerved off to the side and crashed into the slate gray stones of the building to his right with a sickening crunch.

Landing just ahead of him, Spray turned around and smirked, rolling up to his catch. "Well, that could've worked out better for you." He was sleeker looking than Dusty, and had two contra-rotating propellers, like Ripslinger, except they were black with blue tips.

"Yeah? I don't think so!" The van let Spray get close to him, then charged him, catching him off balance before he could fire off his wing-mounted guns. Knocking the crop duster agent backwards and off his wheels, it seemed as if Agent Kane was out of the fight, but suddenly, Spray threw himself upright with his wing, landing in front of the astonished van.

"Bad idea!" Spray smirked, and the rev of a foreign engine sounded behind the van now as a sleek looking female Lamborghini pulled up in view.

"Looks like you're out of road." She stated calmly, giving him a "don't even try it" look.

"Excellent timing, as usual, Agent Drift." Spray complimented his fellow field agent.

"You need to give me more credit, Spray." Serena Drift, the Lamborghini, replied with a smirk.

"Heh… anyway… let's bag this sorry heap and get him down to headquarters!" Spray ordered.

A forklift darted around Serena now, grinning. "Right! Nice catch! Oh and hey, Spray! You are NEVER gonna guess what I just turned up! This is something you need to see! I think I got a lead on Blackthorn!"

"Blackthorn?" Spray asked with interest, looking over at Speedbump Freman, the forklift part of his team, now. "You got a lead?" Immediately the FBI agent's brown eyes lit up. "Show me!"

"Well we all know about the note he left, right? Still… I THINK one of my Interpol buddies got me a hit for him over in Budapest!" Speedbump explained.

"Budapest?" Spray asked, baffled by this. "Why would he be in Budapest? Are you sure?"

"I think so! But we'll know when we get back to HQ and look at the live feed!" Speedbump replied.

"Good… good. All right… let's wrap this up, then! Mr. Truckshore, you're looking at a good 25 to life for your smuggling ring, so you're gonna have a lot of time to reflect on life's greater meanings when the judge gets through with you! Let's go!" Spray ordered his team (who were only partly there) as he started up his engine, the propellers springing into life as he turned around and prepared to take off. Simon Blackthorn… was he really still alive?

******Propwash Junction******

The rain drove down in sheets over Propwash Junction, saturating the ground and driving all but the hardiest indoors. Dusty Crophopper stared out at the falling rain, feeling grateful that at least, there'd be no fires today. Six months had passed since Blackthorn's acquittal… but everything had changed since then.

"This rain is quite irritating. That stupid car on the weather channel said NO rain today… so why is it raining? I wouldn't have come out here had I known it'd be raining! Or at the very least, I would've taken a truck to keep me dry! Such incompetence!"

"Huh?" Dusty asked, lost in thought. He blinked, and turned around now to face the stiff looking light brown Porsche Panamera.

"Are you even listening?" the Porsche asked with irritation. Dr. Turner Cutler was quite the renowned surgeon, but his clinic had fallen on hard times as of late.

"Yes… the rain annoys you. I get it." Dusty replied softly. "So… what exactly did you want to see me for?" the firefighter asked.

"This, Mr. Crophopper! This!" Dr. Cutler thrust a newspaper in his face now from a year ago. Dusty read the paper with only minor interest, glancing it over. So… 14 patients had died in a malpractice incident on the same night last year. A nurse had been blamed for mixing up their medications and poisoning them all, but before the incident could be investigated further, the nurse had been killed in a car accident a few nights later.

"OK… how am I involved?" Dusty asked.

"You aren't… yet. You see, Mr. Crophopper, rumors have been spreading that I drugged that nurse and caused her accident… and my practice has been suffering as a result! Patients just aren't coming in anymore! It's been a disaster! I need to clear my name! And you're the one to do it, Mr. Crophopper!" Dr. Cutler stated insistently.

"Uhh… I think you have me confused with someone else… I'm a firefighter… and a racer… see?" Dusty asked, indicating his bright red, black, and white colors.

"Nonsense! I saw you on TV half a year ago when you cleared that lawyer of murder charges! You're the one who can clear my name and get to the bottom of this! You did so well last year, that I figured if anyone can clear me, you can!" Dr. Cutler insisted.

"But… I'm… not… an investigator…" Dusty trailed off here.

"Please, Mr. Crophopper! You must assist me in this!"

"Yeah I don't think so. I'm sorry your clinic is suffering but… I'm not a lawyer… and I'm done with all that in all honesty." Dusty informed him.

"But you must!" Cutler persisted. "You see… they're refusing to help me unless you're present!"

"They? They who?" Dusty asked, raising his brow.

"Well more like she…" Dr. Cutler admitted here.

"She? She who? Dr. Cutler none of this is making any sense!" Dusty pointed out here with exasperation.

"Here! Look!" The surgeon shoved a photograph in his face now, Dusty blinking as he rocked back a bit here. As his eyes focused, he gasped, feeling his engine start of its own accord.

"What?" Dusty asked, shocked. "That can't be!" he exclaimed here. The photo was from a newspaper clipping of an area he didn't recognize, and while it was in black and white, Dusty knew the plane in the photograph. She was a smaller and sleek looking Nemesis NXT, but… things were different… but so similar! It was her! "Dahlia?" Dusty asked.

"Dahlia? I don't think that was her name." Dr. Cutler responded now.

"But… that's Dahlia Whittaker! I dated her in high school!" Dusty exclaimed, staring at the picture.

"I'm positive that wasn't what she was named though!" Cutler insisted here.

"But… maybe I'm wrong…" Dusty finally conceded here. "Things are a little different… maybe it's not her…" the firefighter felt positive that was Dahlia Whittaker though, his old flame!

"Anyway… she's requesting your presence." Dr. Cutler continued.

Maybe it was Dahlia! But… what was she doing after all these years? He hadn't heard from her in… well it felt like forever to him. "I don't get it… why me? What's this all about, Dr. Cutler?" Dusty pressed now, suddenly intrigued.

"For a spirit summoning!" Dr. Cutler declared now, and Dusty gave him an incredulous look.

"A… spirit summoning?" Dusty asked with confusion.

"Yes! She's going to channel the spirit of the dead nurse and get her to confess! I'll have her sign a confession that it was her mistake that killed those patients, and my name will be cleared!" Cutler exclaimed with excitement.

"Uhhh…" was all Dusty could say at first.

"Don't you see? It's perfect! She signs the confession, and I get off scot-free! My business will improve!" Cutler was practically grinning now, but it was in such a creepy fashion that Dusty wasn't sure if he was really happy or not.

"And why me?" Dusty asked now.

"Because she refuses to perform the channeling unless you're present! Don't ask me why! But that's the primary reason I sought you out! If you're there, she'll do it! She'll summon that incompetent nurse and get her to confess! I'll be off the hook! Please, Mr. Crophopper! I don't usually plead for anything, but right now, I'm pleading for you to accompany me to her town! I'll make this up to you somehow! I'm not sure how just yet but… I'll make it worth your while! Please!" Cutler insisted.

"I…" Dusty stared at the photo again, then back at Cutler. "Excuse me for a minute… I'll be right back…" He brushed past the Porsche and headed out into the pounding rain, making his way towards Skipper's hanger. The rain hammered off the metal roof, echoing badly as Dusty entered the old Corsair's dwelling. "Skip?" Dusty asked as Skipper turned around.

"Hey Dusty… how are you?" Skipper asked with concern, knowing the depressed state his friend had been in lately.

"Uh… fine but… there's something weird I just saw. I just saw… a picture of my old girlfriend!" he exclaimed, still in disbelief at it.

"Your old girlfriend?" Skipper asked curiously, raising a brow. "Uh… Ishani?"

"No… someone before her. Dahlia… Dahlia Whittaker. My old high school flame." Dusty informed Skip.

"Dahlia? Never heard of her." Skipper replied thoughtfully.

"We only dated for six months… and then she up and vanished at the end of the school year." Dusty explained.

"Vanished?" Skipper asked here.

"Yeah… she uh… well there were rumors… that she was mixed up in some bad things but… I don't know… I never got to find out. Talk of… crimes… I never saw her again though so… I-I just don't know what happened." Dusty outlined.

"You liked her?" Skipper continued his line of questioning.

"Of course! I was really into her but… I mean she was just so sweet and caring and loving but… she wasn't there at the end of the year… and… I never knew what had happened to her. I mean some students said she was a bad egg, but I never believed it. Well… I dunno… maybe I did in the end…" he confessed, looking down here.

"Why did you believe it?" Skipper continued.

"Uh… well one of my classmates came to me towards the end… claimed Dahlia had stolen a poison or something from his chemistry class. I didn't believe it of course… I had gotten angry with him… you know how it is I guess." Dusty replied here.

"And when's the last time you saw her?"

"Uh… we skipped school… and went for a flight… out to a waterfall… spent the day there… and then flew home… and that was the last time I saw her… she vanished after that… and the rumors persisted… until I questioned who exactly it was I was dating." Dusty said softly, gazing off into the distance now.

"Hmmm… any indication she was a bad egg?" Skipper asked now.

"No… not really. Only the rumors. I never found out if they were true or not… and never saw her again after that." Dusty told Skipper.

"Just like Blackthorn…" Skipper trailed off, then realized what he'd said. "Sorry… I didn't mean to bring him up…"

Dusty just stared blankly ahead, and didn't respond.

"I'm sorry Dusty… I didn't mean to… say that. What are you going to do?" Skipper asked.

"Huh?" Dusty asked, blinking here.

"What are you going to do about this apparition from your past?" Skipper inquired.

"I have no choice… I have to find out if it's her or not." Dusty stated simply.

"Right… you gonna need backup?" Skipper asked.

"I think I got this one, Skip. Thanks, though."

"Are you sure?" Skipper pressed.

"Yeah… yeah I'm sure." Dusty nodded.

"Dusty… are you hiding something from me?" Skipper asked now, raising a brow again as he got closer to the firefighter.

"No! No!" Dusty replied quickly. "I'm just… distracted… that's all."

"You haven't seemed yourself as of late." Skipper opined.

"I… well you know why…" Dusty replied evasively here, looking away.

"Dusty… you need to let it go… it's over. I know it made you upset but…"

"Thanks Skip… I'll keep that in mind…" Dusty cut him off, and rolled towards the hanger door now, slumping a bit.

Skipper's face fell, and he watched Dusty depart as he sighed heavily. "I'm sorry Dusty… but you've got to rise above this! Don't give up on volo pro veritas…" he said softly as Dusty exited.

Heading through the rain back to his own hanger, Dusty could see Dr. Cutler was still waiting. "Ahhh you're back." The surgeon greeted him.

"I said I would be." Dusty replied. "I'll… go. Where do I need to be and when?"

"Excellent! Three days' time! At this address! It's outside of LA in the San Fernando Valley." Dr. Cutler handed over a slip of paper now, and Dusty looked it over.

"What was the name of the uh… what is she again?" Dusty asked.

"Who?" Dr. Cutler didn't follow.

"The one you showed me." Dusty continued.

"Oh! I can't recall… something flowery… I heard about her through a paranormal researcher at UCLA! She hooked me up with her and she seems to be my only hope of clearing my name! I didn't murder that nurse, Mr. Crophopper. But people think I did… this must end! I'll get her spirit to confess and we'll clear this up!" Cutler insisted.

"Uh-huh… I'm sure we shall… anyway, I'll see you there in three days. No worries." Dusty reassured him now.

"Excellent! I'll see you there! URGH! STUPID weather girl! She said NO RAIN today!" Cutler snapped, getting ready to head out into the downpour.

Dusty suppressed a chuckle, and watched him go. As he was left alone in his hanger, he sighed. He'd been feeling devoid these past few months… everything had been going so well and then… then this happened… Blackthorn…

Closing his eyes, Dusty's face hardened, and when he opened them again, he was glaring darkly at his wall. "So much for volo pro veritas…" Dusty stated bitterly, and closed his eyes again in disgust.


	15. Chapter 15: Ghosts, Spooks and Haunts

**Author's Note: **Oh yes, might as well get this out of the way now... Spray Kane used with full permission from his creator! Glad he's liking the story so far! :D

The village Dusty Crophopper found himself in three days later was eerily isolated in the San Fernando Valley. Despite being an urbanized valley and the home of such companies like Walt Disney Studios, there were still some outlying places that remained alone and seemingly cut off from civilization. As he approached the town's entrance, Dusty looked around, surprised by the bucolic nature of this place.

There was a large building off in the distance, perched atop a hill, and Dusty could only speculate as to what this was. Immediately ahead of him, a very familiar yet different plane could be seen, smiling in greeting as she approached him now. It looked so much like Dahlia but… it wasn't. Different paint scheme… but did that really mean anything? Dusty decided to gamble here, and waited to greet her with his play.

"Greetings, Mr. Crophopper. Welcome to the peaceful town of San Juan Tanejo. It's good that you decided to come. Dr. Cutler is already here. I'll be performing the channeling today."

Dusty looked the sleek plane over. Her mannerisms were all different… she didn't carry herself like Dahlia at all. "And you are?" he asked, deciding to shelve his card for now.

"Oh forgive me. You may call me Iris, Mr. Crophopper." She introduced herself now. Dusty noticed the absence of a last name.

"Iris? Iris what?" he inquired.

"Just Iris. I've given up my last name over the years as part of my training. I no longer need it, after all."

"Say… you look VERY familiar to me, Iris. I haven't met you before, have I?" Dusty asked now.

She smiled sweetly at him, but shook her head. "I don't think so. I think I'd remember meeting a plane like you." She stated.

"But… have you always gone by the name of Iris?" Dusty tried again.

"Yes… always." She replied.

"And… the name Dahlia rings no bells for you?" For a brief moment, he thought he saw recognition flash in her eyes, but it was gone in a snap, and she smiled at him again.

"I don't think so. I'm sorry." She stated now.

"Ah… well… it's just I could've sworn I've seen you before…" He told her here.

"I doubt it. Now then, shall I show you to the temple?" she asked.

"That big building in the distance?" Dusty nodded in the direction of the hill.

"Yes… that's where I'll be performing the summoning. It'll be my first time, but I've been training a long time for this."

"So you're a… what? What do you call yourself?" Dusty inquired.

"Some might call me a medium, Mr. Crophopper. Others a mystic, and yet still others might say I'm a sage. I'm training to become chief of my clan. There aren't many of us left… but I'm trying to keep our tradition alive." She explained.

"Uh… you're kidding me, right? I mean ghosts and spirits and all that? They don't exist, do they?" Dusty asked, though he was starting to believe it, given how serious she was talking.

"Oh they are quite real, I assure you."

"It's not just a scam?" Dusty asked skeptically.

"No… it's quite real. My mother can explain more to you. She's waiting at the temple right now. She's been preparing me for this… though I haven't seen her in years." Iris explained.

"Oh… your mother, huh?" Dusty inquired.

"Yes… and Dr. Cutler is there too."

"Why… did you want me here?" Dusty asked the million-dollar question.

"Sometimes… signs point to a certain plane in our lives that will make things flow smoothly. You're that plane, Mr. Crophopper. The signs pointed to you being the one to make my channeling a success." Iris informed him.

What the hell was with all this creepy nonsense? Was she being serious… or was there more to it than that? "Uh… OK… I'm not really sure that's answer."

Iris smiled over at him as they entered the temple. "You'll understand… someday…" Signs? What signs? Was that even true? Or had they really met somewhere in the past, as he suspected?

An older plane greeted them now, smiling warmly as she bowed in Dusty's direction. "Dusty Crophopper! The world famous air racer! Welcome! No doubt Iris has told you about me… I'm her mother, Morgan Fayette. It's such a pleasure to meet you!" Dr. Cutler was beside the older plane, and nodded at Dusty in greeting.

"Hello, Ms… Mrs. Fayette." Dusty stumbled over the title.

"Ms is fine." Morgan corrected him, something Dusty found curious. Ms? So she wasn't married anymore?

"Um… could you perhaps explain this a bit… like what's going on, why I'm here… who you two are…" Dusty asked.

"Of course." Morgan smiled at him. "Well you see, I'm part of a long tradition of mediums from a small village in the middle of this country. We're the last of our kind, but… sadly… my powers were not enough to inherit the title of chief of my clan. Sad though this was, my daughter Iris was quite potent, and she's set to become the next head of our clan, provided she can of course complete her training. I haven't seen my daughter in a long time… but she's come to complete her training, and I've been doing everything I can to ensure she's ready to succeed to her position and take the place I could never fill." Morgan explained.

"Huh… OK… um… and this stuff is real?" Dusty posed another question.

"Quite real… as real as you and I. Now then… we're going to prepare the chamber to be used. Feel free to look around the temple if you like. I'll send for you when we're ready to begin." Morgan smiled at him again.

"Sure… thanks. See you soon, Dr. Cutler." Dusty said towards the Porsche, the bespectacled surgeon merely nodding again in reply. Sighing, Dusty broke away from the group now, and headed towards a hallway off to his right. Japanese sliding doors were on either side of him… which was kind of strange to see, but calming in a way as well. Looking to his left, he saw a room whose door was open. Peering in, he could see a sleeping car a short distance away. It looked like a sports car of some kind, but as Dusty didn't want to intrude, he stole away down the hall and headed outside into a courtyard, and was met with paradise.

A beautiful garden stretched before his eyes, causing him to gasp a little in surprise. Greens, reds, blues, and violets blossomed before him, creating a veritable umbrella of pastels as he inhaled the scent of a thousand flowers. "Wow…" he breathed, catching a glimpse of red off to his right. Narrowing his eyes, the firefighter looked through some bushes and shrubbery and felt his engine stop. Just ahead of him, through the crowd of flowers, he could see a familiar red Nemesis aircraft just disappearing around a corner of the building. "Dahlia?" Dusty asked, feeling his engine start to race as he hurried to catch up, the bushes slapping him as he pushed through them.

Rounding the corner, he could see nothing but an empty hall leading back into the temple. What? Had he just imagined the whole thing? Had he really seen her? Was he just seeing things because of Iris? Was his mind playing tricks on him? Grinding his teeth and sighing, he turned around and nearly jumped out of his paint as he came face to face with a black painted crop duster style plane. "WHOA!" he exclaimed, leaping backwards on his pontoons.

"Sorry!" the other plane quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you… are you Crophopper?"

"Yeah… who are you?" Dusty asked now, feeling that things were getting way too weird around here for his comfort. Perhaps bringing Skipper along wouldn't have been such a bad idea…

"Kane… Spray Kane. Special agent with the FBI. I've been summoned here by Dr. Cutler, our mutual acquaintance, but I've been wanting to meet you for some time… I believe we had a mutual friend…" Spray explained.

Kane? Why did that name ring a bell…? Oh wait… "You're the guy Blackthorn recommended." Dusty stated now, the puzzle clicking into place in his head.

"Perhaps. I wouldn't know if he recommended me to you or not, but yes, he's our mutual friend. I investigated several cases with him when he was an up and coming prosecutor. We were a pretty good team, him and I, but well…" Spray trailed off here.

"Yeah… then that happened." Dusty stated, almost defiantly. "I'd rather not talk about him if it's all the same to you." The firefighter added bitterly. This caused Spray to give him a quizzical look, but he decided not to press the issue further at the moment. "So what are you out here for anyway?" Dusty asked. "Another sign from Iris?"

"Hm-hm, no, afraid not. Dr. Cutler was concerned about security… he was afraid the spirit might be vengeful or violent… and I'm also looking into the malpractice incident for him. He operated on me once after I got pretty banged up and well… I kind of owe him a favor, even though the FBI doesn't usually handle things like this." Spray explained.

"Huh… I see. Anyway…" Dusty seemed at a loss for words here.

"Don't worry." Spray smiled here. "I was sent to collect you. Morgan Fayette said they're just about ready to begin."

"Oh! Right! Well let's go then!" Dusty nodded at the FBI agent, glad to be done with his wanderings for now. He took one last look behind him, but the hallway remained empty.

The channeling chamber was the centerpiece of the temple: it was the biggest room in the building, but was simplistically decorated, having straw mats on the floors and several screens around the perimeter of the room. Iris and Dr. Cutler were shown into the very center of the room by Morgan, who proceeded to usher Spray and Dusty out once this was complete.

"According to tradition, only the medium and the requester can be present… Iris needs full concentration, after all. Once the channeling starts, there will be nothing we can do but wait." Morgan explained to the two. Dusty glanced over at Spray.

"You believe any of this?" the firefighter asked.

"Not really… but… I've seen some strange things in my life… so strange you wouldn't believe me if I told you… so… who knows? Ghosts and spirits and all that… could be real." Spray shrugged.

"I wouldn't believe you?" Dusty asked as Morgan shut the door and Iris locked it from inside, the click of the key sounding with finality in the ears of the three planes. "Try me." Dusty added.

"I don't think so." Spray responded, somewhat defensively. "I just said you wouldn't believe me so… let's not."

"Why not?" Dusty asked with slight irritation.

"Gentleplanes, gentleplanes please! Shhhh." Morgan shushed them. "Let's be quiet and respectful."

Spray nodded, and Dusty rolled his eyes and glanced over at Morgan now. "Right…" So the "ghosts" can come out, he didn't add. "I've seen some pretty strange things myself." Dusty whispered now to Spray.

"Not like this you haven't." Spray whispered back. "Anyway… let's just wait and see how this goes."

Dusty clammed up now, and inwardly sighed. He had a feeling an angry Dr. Cutler would be storming out of the room at any minute but… then again, it did seem pretty quiet in there.

Shuffling his pontoons a little, Dusty tried to piece all this together. Was Iris telling the truth about herself? She didn't seem anything like Dahlia… but those eyes… they were the eyes of someone he once knew… he could feel it. So kind… gentle… deep… but what was she doing here? Why would she call him out here but claim to not know him? What was really going on here?

But Dusty's thoughts were shattered by the unmistakable sound of a gunshot coming from the chamber. His body snapped upwards now, and he gasped. "Was that…?"

Morgan seemed confused, but Spray moved forward now. "Certainly seems like it! Get that door open!" he ordered Morgan.

"I cannot!" she explained helplessly. "Iris has the key!" A second gunshot rang out now, and Dusty looked at Spray.

"Let's bust in! Come on! Something going on in there!" Dusty shouted.

"Was thinking the same thing! On three! One… two… THREE!" Spray ordered, and the two planes drove forward, crashing into the door with all their might. It splintered, and then gave way under their force as the two aircraft burst into the room.

Dusty gasped as he could see Dr. Cutler slumped on the floor, eyes closed, and oil leaking profusely from his body. But Dusty's own oil froze when he saw the bizarre sight standing before him. Drenched in oil as black as coal, some creature was staring at him now. It looked like a weird mix between Iris and some car… a Jaguar maybe. Wings sprouted from her body, but she was definitely more car than plane. She was holding a knife in one wheel and a gun in the other. "That car… killed me… he killed me… so I took… my revenge…" she said in an eerie, death-like voice.

"Iris?" Dusty asked breathlessly as Spray narrowed his eye before dropping a visor down in front of them and snapping a few pictures even as Morgan moved in front of them.

"Oh my! This is… this is terrible! Call the police! I need you out of the room while I perform the spirit severing technique! NOW!" she shouted.

"B-but…" Dusty stammered.

"I need total concentration to separate the spirit from the medium! GO!" Morgan yelled as the spirit began advancing towards them.

"Come on, Dusty!" Spray agreed, beginning to push the firefighter towards the door now. He wasn't sure what was going on, but there was no way he was going to risk shooting the spirit and possibly killing Iris. He could only hope Morgan knew what she was doing...

Once they had crossed the threshold, Morgan slammed the door behind them and began chanting something incomprehensible. "What… what WAS that?" Dusty asked breathlessly, in shock as his body felt numb. "Was that…?"

"No idea, but let's let Ms. Fayette handle it, shall we? I'm making a call to the LAPD right now!" Spray stated.

"But… but what WAS that? It was… horrid!" Dusty felt queasy. He'd NEVER seen anything like that before! It was… was so alien and strange and… freaky! He didn't even realize his propeller was spinning as he tried to calm himself down.

"Police are on their way!" Spray informed Dusty as he hung up now. "You doing OK?" he asked, noting the panicked look of the firefighter.

"I just saw a freaking ghost! NO I'm not doing OK!" Dusty snapped.

"Calm down… we don't know what we saw… I have to admit… first glance it appears pretty convincing… I don't know. I don't know what we saw… maybe a ghost… maybe not. Still… let's not leap to conclusions." Spray tried to calm Dusty.

"But… but Dr. Cutler…"

"Is probably dead… I know. Just… calm down, OK? We'll get to the bottom of this!"

"I… I… I need to get out of here!" Dusty declared, turning around now as panic seized his brain.

"Hold it!" Spray moved in front of him, using his wings to block the way. "You can't go! I know you're probably freaking out right now but I need you to stay calm! You're a witness! You CAN'T just flee the scene! Think about Iris, after all!" Spray pointed out, and though Dusty wanted to try to muscle his way past the FBI agent, he figured Spray had a point. Iris… yes… what would happen to her?

He turned, and headed for the door to the chamber now, but once again Spray blocked him. "Wait! Let's just let Morgan do her thing, OK? We don't know what we're dealing with admittedly, and we might make it worse by busting in there. Just relax… the police are on their way… it's their problem now."

"Yeah… yeah you're right. You're right… we'll wait… OK…" Dusty was taking deep breaths now, trying to calm himself. "You're right… but what was that?"

"We'll find out… but for right now… let's just chill out. No panicking. Calm down, OK?" Spray insisted, looking right at Dusty here.

"Yeah… yeah you're right. But what if it goes wrong? What if Morgan's dead?" Dusty asked.

"Then we bust in there and I take whatever measures I feel are necessary to protect us, got it?" Spray countered.

"OK… OK yeah… but can you kill a ghost?" Dusty continued.

"Don't know… never tried." Spray confessed here. "I've never actually come face to face with a ghost before."

"Never have I." Dusty concurred. "Still… that was just freaky! It was like a combination of the two of them!"

"Which is why I didn't shoot…" Spray cut in. "I could've killed Iris. I didn't have enough time to assess the situation, so I took the safer route." Spray informed him.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Morgan came out. Both planes turned towards her eagerly. "Well?" they both asked at once.

"She's resting now… I managed to sever the spirit… it's over… but… Dr. Cutler… he didn't make it…" Morgan stated sadly, closing her eyes and slumping a bit here.

"What happened?" Spray asked, but it was then that the police burst in, sirens wailing and lights flashing as Detective Crawford moved forward now.

"Nobody move! Where's the crime scene?" the detective demanded, and Spray nodded towards the channeling chamber. "Let's go!" Crawford ordered, and rolled forward now, heading for the door. Spray flashed his badge, and Crawford glanced at him tentatively before allowing him to head inside. Dusty of course was kept outside, much to his chagrin, so he decided to ask Morgan what had occurred.

"I managed to sever the spirit from Iris… but… Iris wasn't apparently strong enough to control it… it murdered Dr. Cutler…"

"Uhhh… I think the police are going to say that Iris murdered Dr. Cutler… wouldn't you say?" Dusty asked now, knowing exactly how this would look.

"I can't say… but yes… it doesn't look good…" Morgan admitted sadly here.

Something wasn't right about this though… Iris wasn't able to control the spirit… this didn't sound right. This… couldn't be possible. A ghost had forced Iris to commit murder? That sounded too convenient to him… he wanted to talk to Iris. But such a thing wasn't possible right now so…

Then suddenly, he remembered something. There was someone else here too! Turning now, he moved down the hallways towards the room he'd seen that sports car sleeping in. Morgan gazed after him, but didn't stop him as he raced towards the room. The door was still open, but this time, the car was awake. She jumped at seeing him in the doorway, but then quickly smiled as she gave him a goofy look. "Oh hai there!" she greeted him, and Dusty immediately noticed she was a Jaguar… but was smaller and appeared more sporty than the Jaguar he'd seen in the chamber. Still… another Jaguar… that couldn't be a coincidence. Also she was red… the Jaguar in the chamber had been white...

"Uh yeah hey… did you hear some gunshots a little while ago?" he asked her now. "And sorry… who are you?"

"Oh me? I'm Viola! Viola Peters! Who are you?" the bubbly red Jaguar asked now.

"Um… Dusty… Dusty Crophopper. Did you here gunshots just now?" he asked now.

"Gunshots? Heavens no! I was asleep the whole time! I just woke up!" she yawned here, and gave him another smile… but… something was strange. Her eyes seemed alert… completely aware… she didn't look like she'd just woken up.

"I see… and what are you doing here?" Dusty asked now.

"Well maybe I should ask YOU the same question! A hunky firefighter suddenly shows up in my doorway?" she smirked at him here. "Where's the fire, Mr. Crophopper?"

"Uhhh… well I… there's been a murder here, so I figured I'd ask if you heard anything!" Dusty tried to explain.

"Oh wow! A murder? No way!" Viola responded in shock. "That's like, totally scary!" she exclaimed.

"Yeah I know… so what are you doing here?" Dusty pressed.

"Oh you know… I'm studying the occult and ghosts and all that… and this seemed like a great place to start!" She snorted a bit in laughter here, and seemed completely unphased by his statement of a murder having taken place after her initial shock. "I'm a student at UCLA looking into this stuff. It's really fascinating, the stuff they do here!"

UCLA? That rang a bell! Dr. Cutler had mentioned finding Iris thanks to a student at UCLA! "Hey… did you know Dr. Cutler?" he asked.

She blinked here, and looked off to the side before back at him. "Uhhh no… don't think so. Who's that?" she inquired.

Dusty narrowed his eyes. Something about her answer… this was a bunch of a crap if he'd ever seen it. She didn't know Dr. Cutler but was a student from UCLA AND was a Jaguar? Too many coincidences here… but what did they all mean? She was lying to him… or hiding something… but he couldn't tell what right now.

"You're positive?" he asked again.

"Yep… but hey… I wake up to find a hunky firefighter standing in front of me… I could think of worse things to wake up too." She smirked here again. "You wanna like… get some coffee or something? I need to wake up and like… it's kind of lonely here…"

"Uhhh no thanks!" Dusty responded quickly, backing away here, his propeller spinning. "Maybe some other time! Anyway I should probably be going to find out what the police discovered."

"Bummer… well if you change your mind… I'll be here for another week!" she winked at him here, and Dusty shook his head, turning and heading down the hallway now back to the chamber. The police were leading Iris out now, and Dusty knew this was coming. It didn't surprise him in the slightest.

"Wait!" he called, moving up to the group now. Iris was covered in oil… and seemed like she was mostly still asleep, her eyes fluttering a bit as she shook herself here. "Detective Crawford… what did you find out?" Dusty demanded.

"Dr. Cutler was stabbed and then shot in the head. It doesn't look good… under the circumstances… there was no one else who could've done it but this plane." The detective explained.

"But… it was a spirit!" Dusty protested.

"Yeah… I heard that story from Agent Kane as well. I don't know what you THINK you saw but… the evidence points to Ms. Iris as the killer. Blaming it on a ghost? Sounds a little fantastical, doesn't it?" Crawford asked skeptically. "And all but impossible to prove." He pointed out here.

"But… Spray you took photos, right?" Dusty asked, moving up to Spray now.

"Yeah… gotta print them out first though." Spray stated. "What are you going to do now? Did you find anything?"

"Nothing solid but…" he looked at Iris now, who gazed back at him sadly.

"Dusty… I'm sorry… this wasn't supposed to happen…" she said with resignation, closing her eyes and slumping heavily.

Dusty? She had been calling him "Mr. Crophopper" before this… since when did she switch to a first name basis with him? For a moment… he thought he recognized her again. The way she said Dusty… it was SO familiar to him! But why? Who WAS she? "Wait!" Dusty said now, moving towards the police cars. "I'll defend her! I'll represent her in court! Something's not right here! I'll be her attorney!"

"Very well… no idea on the prosecutor just yet… but I'd assume it'll be one of the state's own. Good luck… you're gonna need it…" Crawford stated, shaking his head a bit as they began driving off with Iris in tow.

"Dusty… I'm sorry… this wasn't supposed to happen…" Those words replayed in his mind and sent a shiver down his back, causing his tail to shudder as he heard them again. The way she had said that… it was everything to him! He KNEW that voice! He'd get to the bottom of this and clear her name… so that he could find out just what was going on with her.


	16. Chapter 16: Viola and Violet

Dusty once again found himself heading through the halls of the detention center in LA. He'd spent the night in San Juan Tanejo and had come into the city in the morning to speak with Iris. He was still trying to figure out who she was and how she tied in to him. Her story of signs was complete crap, or at least he felt it was.

Being shown to the visitors' area, Iris was waiting for him behind the plate of glass by the time he arrived. "Good morning, Dusty." She greeted him, still using his first name.

"Good morning, Iris." Dusty responded, giving her a solemn look. She appeared distressed, her face ragged and looking like she hadn't slept much last night (which she probably hadn't). "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible… I wasn't strong enough to control the spirit… I failed… it killed Dr. Cutler… it's all my fault… this wasn't supposed to happen." She told him ruefully.

"Iris… I need you to tell me what channeling is like… what's it feel like? What were you experiencing?" Dusty asked her now.

"Um… well… that's the strange thing… it didn't feel like I had channeled anything, to be honest with you." She confessed now.

"Why not?" he pressed.

"Because… well it was my first time but… my mother said you can't dream while you're channeling… and I dreamed…"

"You… dreamed?" Dusty raised a brow.

"Yes… I'm not supposed to be able to do that. I'm supposed to just… experience the world through the spirit's eyes… see what they see… at least, according to mother I am. But I dreamed I was buried in the ground… that I was dead… and that… I smelled something… something familiar…" Iris narrowed her eyes now and gazed past Dusty, as if trying to conjure up what it was she had smelled.

"Can you place the scent?" Dusty asked.

"No… I'm afraid not. I can't say right now." She denied knowing anything further.

"Is there anything else you can tell me? You're sure you WEREN'T channeling?" the firefighter inquired.

"I don't know… I can't say for certain. But it just didn't seem like I was. That's all I can remember, sorry."

"It's OK… Iris… before I go… who are you?" Dusty asked now. "Why do you seem so familiar to me?"

"I…" Iris looked off to the side here, and refused to meet Dusty's gaze. "I… haven't ever met you before in my life, Mr. Crophopper." She was back to addressing him by his last name. But the way she said it sounded so wooden… and contrived.

"Are you sure? Iris look at me…" Dusty ordered, but the gray plane refused to meet his gaze.

"Yes… I'm positive… I've NEVER seen you before in my life." She insisted, staring at the floor.

"Iris… I've seen you somewhere before. I know I have! Why are you hiding this from me?" Dusty demanded, growing irritated now. "I have to know!"

"I'm sorry Dusty… Mr. Crophopper… I really haven't met you before." She'd said it again! She'd used his first name! Why was she lying to him? Frowning, he glared at her, but she refused to meet his eyes, and he finally sighed.

"Fine… I'm gonna clear your name at least. You didn't do this. If you say you didn't perform that summoning then… something else occurred. See you later, Iris." He said softly, turning to leave now. He couldn't stand this! He was certain he'd seen her somewhere before but… where? He was tired of hitting brick walls as of late.

But as he rolled by her, he stopped, turning once again as he noticed something. "Wait… is that a bullet hole in your wing?" he asked, raising his brow.

Iris looked to her left now, and gasped. "What? I didn't… even notice that yesterday!"

"Were you shot?" he asked with some concern.

"Not that I can recall! I don't even feel any pain!" Iris exclaimed.

Dusty nodded at her to tilt the injury towards him, and he studied it. "Doesn't look like anything vital was hit… maybe that's why. I wonder how you got shot…" he speculated, trailing off here.

"I don't know… I wasn't even aware of that!" Iris stated adamantly.

"No, no, it's fine… I'll figure it out. Anyway… see you later." He gave her a nod, and turned to once more depart, trying to piece everything together… had Dr. Cutler been the one with the gun? Had he fired at her as she attacked him? And then… had Dr. Cutler lost his gun to her and she had finished him off? There were two shots after all… but had Iris been shot when Dusty and Spray had burst into the room? Dusty honestly couldn't recall. So much had been going on that he couldn't honestly remember. If so… it didn't look good for Iris… it seemed more and more like Cutler was defending himself.

As he exited the detention center, he saw Spray waiting for him at the bottom of the ramp. "Hey, Crophopper. You're going to defend Iris?" Spray asked.

"Yeah… I think so. How do the photos look?" Dusty asked hopefully.

"Well I don't know. It's bizarre, that's for sure. I don't know HOW the judge or prosecutor is going to use them. Of course, I had to turn them over to the state but… I made backups just in case." Dusty noticed a Jolly Wrenches' logo upon Spray's rudder that he hadn't picked up on yesterday.

"Hey… you know the Wrenches?" Dusty changed the subject.

"Wrenches?" Spray asked.

"The Jolly Wrenches." Dusty informed him.

"Oh yes! I do! I noticed you bear their insignia too." Spray nodded at the skull and crossed wrenches on Dusty's nose. "I helped clear one of them on charges way back… they made me an honorary member in thanks." Spray explained.

"I see…" Dusty replied, seemingly not interested anymore, which was odd, as he'd brought it up in the first place. Spray picked up on this, giving Dusty a confused look.

"What's the matter? How did you get yours?" Spray tried.

"I'm not going to discuss that right now…" Dusty replied in a brusque tone. "I'm going back to San Juan Tanejo to look around."

"Hey! What's your problem?" Spray asked, moving to keep up. "I just asked how you got your logo. You're obviously a member too… did I say something wrong?"

"I just don't want to talk about them right now… that's all." Dusty stated bitterly.

"Well I was just asking." Spray pointed out.

Dusty didn't respond, and kept going, causing Spray to sigh as he moved to follow after the firefighter.

San Juan Tanejo was just as quiet as it had been this morning, with the only sound greeting the two being the dirt being ground by their wheels. It seemed like everything in this town was so sleepy and restful. Dusty had yet to see any real residents come out of their homes, and he wondered if these houses were even occupied at all…

Dusty traveled in silence, having made no conversation with Spray on the flight over to the village. Entering the temple now, the two could see Morgan Fayette sitting in the channeling chamber and staring down into a steaming cup of tea. "Ah! Gentleplanes!" she brightened upon seeing them. "How is my daughter doing?"

"Not well…" Dusty responded.

"I'm so sorry to hear that…" Morgan's face melted here into one of sadness. "Yesterday, I had to strike her on the head to knock her out… I used my wing for such purpose. She was becoming too violent otherwise. I then performed the spirit severing technique to break the spirit's hold over her body. It was all I could manage to do I'm afraid." She took a sip from her tea now, frowning regretfully.

"Iris is the heir to your clan, isn't she?" Dusty asked now as Spray began looking around the room nonchalantly, moving from corner to corner as his eyes roved over the room.

"Indeed, she is." Morgan confirmed, still frowning sadly.

"But… if she's convicted of murder… your clan has no heir!" Dusty pointed out now.

"Well… there IS another actually… one even stronger than Iris, but not directly in line thanks to her being younger than her sister." Dusty's eyes widened at this to the size of dinner plates, and he gazed at Morgan now.

"Her SISTER? She has a sister? What's her name?" Dusty asked rapidly.

"Oh yes… her younger sister… her twin really. I had them made the same exact plane except for their colors. Dahlia…" Morgan explained.

"You're Dahlia's MOTHER? Of COURSE! It makes sense now!" Dusty exclaimed in relief.

Morgan gave him a confused look. "You know Dahlia?"

"YES! I dated her in high school!" He pronounced. "She was my girlfriend!"

"Really?" Morgan asked, seeming surprised but also amused at this. "Fascinating… I don't think she mentioned you to me… but then again… we weren't exactly close back then. You see… when my husband found out I was too weak to inherit the title of chief of our clan, he took my darling babies and left me… and it was years before I saw them again…" Morgan gazed down into her tea sadly, her eyes misting up here, but her voice had an edge to it, one that was harder than steel.

"Oh… I'm sorry… I had no idea… Dahlia mentioned living with her father though, yes." Dusty nodded here. "Tell me… where is she now?" he asked eagerly.

"I don't know… she was traveling last I'd heard. You see, she later escaped her father and made her way back to me… my darling daughter. She was always closer to me than Iris had been. Iris sided with her father sadly… but I haven't dwelt on it. She IS next in line after all… and thank goodness nothing in here was damaged yesterday. Everything in this room is precious to our clan." Morgan explained. "Iris and I put aside our differences so I could train her to become our next chief. But now this…" Morgan sighed, shaking her head.

"Yeah… so how's Dahlia been keeping? She kind of vanished on me after school… is she… OK?" Dusty asked now.

"She's doing well, yes." Morgan responded.

"Could you… have her contact me next time you speak with her? I'd like to talk to her again." Dusty suggested hopefully.

"Oh yes… certainly. I'm sure she'd be pleased to see you once more." Morgan smiled at him here.

"Thanks!" Dusty replied with a smile of his own now. "I'm so glad I figured this out!"

"Psst! Dusty!" Spray called over to the firefighter now. "Ahem…" Motioning with his eyes, the FBI agent indicated a bullet hole in one of the screens that were in the four corners of the room. It was hard to pick up on, but clearly, Morgan must've missed it when she said nothing had been damaged. Hmmm… a bullet hole… two shots… had it passed through Iris and struck the screen? The second shot obviously killed Cutler… that wasn't a mystery to Dusty, the way he saw it.

Any further investigation into this was suspended however when Detective Crawford drove into the room. "Thought I'd find you two out here. Agent Kane… the prosecution is requesting your presence as you're a witness in tomorrow's trial."

"Are they now?" Spray asked, turning to face Crawford.

"And… who is the prosecutor?" Dusty asked, butting in.

"Oh yeah… bad news for you, Crophopper. Von Karswerth is prosecuting this one." Crawford stated, causing Dusty's motor to rev.

"Wait… von Karswerth? But… wasn't he executed? How is that even…?" Dusty trailed off here.

"No, no, it's his daughter. She was studying law in Germany but came over here upon hearing of her father's arrest and conviction."

"His daughter?" Dusty asked, blinking. "He had… he was MARRIED?"

"Apparently." Crawford replied. "She's a prodigy, Crophopper. Entered law school at the age of 13."

"13?" Dusty exclaimed in shock. "Just how smart is she?"

"Pretty damn smart, I'd say. She seemed uh… eager to know you were going to defend Iris tomorrow."

"Probably wants revenge for her father… is she… anything like him?" Dusty asked now, cringing.

"Heheh… oh yeah! She's undefeated too. So you'd better watch your tail tomorrow. She's not some run of the mill prosecutor after all." Crawford explained.

"Great… just what I need…" Dusty murmured. "Of COURSE she's not run of the mill… she's a von Karswerth after all." Dusty rolled his eyes here as he sarcastically let the name roll off his tongue.

"Heheh… yeah well… too bad. Anyway, you ready, Agent Kane?" Crawford asked the black crop duster.

"Sure… see ya, Crophopper." Spray waved his wing at Dusty slightly, but Dusty suddenly stopped him.

"Wait! Agent Kane! You mentioned you were looking into Dr. Cutler's case on the side… tell me… what was the name of the nurse who died? The one we saw yesterday." Dusty asked.

"Oh yeah… uh… Peters it was. Violet Peters." Spray responded after a moment's thought.

Peters! That was the name of that ditzy Jaguar in the other room! "Wow! That's… a HUGE help! Thanks!" Dusty exclaimed as Spray gave him a small smile and a nod.

"See you tomorrow in court." The FBI agent stated as he headed out with Crawford.

Turning from Morgan now, Dusty headed to the hall leading to Viola's room. Violet Peters! The dead nurse must've been Viola's sister! And this of course was making Viola seem awfully guilty in Dusty's eyes! If that wasn't a spirit in the room… but some elaborate trick… then Viola might be the one behind it! Of course… that would mean Morgan would've had to have been in on it too but… it was too much right now for Dusty to process, so instead, he decided to simply confront Viola and see what she had to say.

Fortunately, she was still there. This time though, Dusty noticed an enormous box in her room… large enough to fit a car, or maybe even himself inside. It was open though, and contained what looked like voluminous ceremonial robes within it. "Oh heeeeeey! It's you again, Mr. Hunky Firefighter! You finally here to ask me out? I know you are! Go on! Say it! Say it!" Viola declared eagerly, beaming at him now.

"Uhh heheh no, sorry." Dusty responded.

"But why ELSE do you keep showing up in my doorway? You can't resist me, can you?" Viola asked sweetly.

"Actually… I was hoping to talk about Violet… Violet Peters." This caused a visible reaction from the red Jaguar now, who blinked and rocked backwards a bit here.

"Violet?" Viola asked here.

"Yes… she was a nurse who died in a horrible accident a year ago. Ring any bells?" Dusty pointed out here, as the Jaguar's bottom lip trembled.

"What do you want to know about her for?" Viola asked, visibly shaken.

"Was she… your sister?" Dusty asked now, his face falling but becoming sympathetic all the same.

"Well… yeah… she was…" Viola admitted here, closing her eyes.

"So you DO know Dr. Cutler then… or did I guess I should say." Dusty continued.

"Yeah… yeah I know that car." Viola opened her eyes now, a darker look in them as she glared at Dusty. "That slave driver murdered her! He worked her SO hard that he caused her to fall asleep while driving and… and cost her her life!" Viola snapped, tears forming in her eyes now. "And you know what? He caused the deaths of those patients too! He worked her to the chassis and then blamed her because she made a mistake instead of taking responsibility and accepting he was a terrible boss! He worked my sister to death! It was his fault and I'm not forgiving him for it! You ask me? He got what he deserved… I'm glad my sister took her revenge."

There was acid in her tone, and it chilled Dusty's oil to hear her speak "And… so you're saying you aren't sorry he's dead?"

"Not at all!" Viola protested. "Why would I be? He killed my sister as far as I'm concerned! Anyway… what's it to you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing… I suppose. Just… curious is all." Right now, Dusty had no proof of her involvement, and accusing her of random things wouldn't help. "So uh… I'm sorry for your loss." It was all starting to make sense now to him. Iris mentioned she might not have really channeled anyone… if she hadn't… was this some elaborate ruse on this Jaguar's part to murder Dr. Cutler in revenge for her sister? But how had she pulled it off… and was Iris's own mother, Morgan, involved? But why would she do this to her own daughter?

"Yeah well… she's not coming back…" Viola replied.

"And… was it Dr. Cutler who came to you at UCLA about Iris?" Dusty asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Viola stated simply, fixing her eyes on him now.

"Hm… very well… thanks for your time." He said in response, and turned to leave. "Sorry, but no date right now. I'm afraid I've got some work to do." He didn't wait for her answer, and headed back down the hallway now. So many questions still remained unanswered… but he had to get to the bottom of them tomorrow in the trial. It was make or break time, and perhaps enough evidence could be accrued to prove that Iris was innocent after all, despite the odds stacked against her.

As Dusty rolled down the hall, he winced as his wheel rolled over something on the floor. Glancing downward, he saw it was an ornate looking black key… the very one that Iris had possessed yesterday to lock the channeling chamber. But… what was it doing here? Shouldn't it have been with Iris when she was arrested? Why was it just sitting in the hallway?

Hesitating, Dusty decided to pick it up, and keep it, just in case it might prove to be important. It was clearly not where it was supposed to be so… whatever the reason for it being here, it could be vital to solving this case.

He still felt as if he was missing some pieces here. If Viola wanted revenge… why wait a year? Why not just kill Cutler the moment she found out her sister was dead? And how was Morgan involved, if involved she was? Why would she willingly participate in something that could harm her daughter… even get her killed? And despite learning that Dahlia was Iris's sister… there was still a mystery to Iris. Why did she refer to him by his first name? Why had she requested his presence yesterday? He still couldn't shake the feeling that he'd seen her somewhere before… It wasn't adding up… at least not yet. Dusty needed more clues, but first he'd have to contend with von Karswerth in court… and parry her attempts to put Iris behind bars. Iris was innocent… of that Dusty was certain. Von Karswerth… he only hoped she'd be nothing like her father, but he had a sinking feeling as he rolled out of the temple out into the mid-day sun… it was going to be a fight, of that he had no doubts.


	17. Chapter 17: Relentless Pressure

Dusty stood behind his table, waiting for the prosecutor to arrive. He stared at the woodwork of the desk, watching the curves of the knots and swirls and wondering why they had chosen to laminate the table.

The doors opened behind him, and the firefighter turned to gaze upon an impressive and beautiful looking black Maybach Exelero, which fixed him immediately with her gray eyes. Dusty felt as if he'd entered into a staring contest with the sleek car as her powerful V-12 engine propelled her down the aisles to her bench, and she scowled as she took her position across from him.

"Dusty Crophopper." She spoke. Her voice was like a blade, clipped and short, and there was a mocking undercurrent to it as she smirked at him. "A foolish crop duster turned racer turned firefighter who thinks he can be a lawyer. I assure you, today is the day you will be crushed. I will destroy you in a perfect victory, for only perfection is befitting the von Karswerth name. You will be destroyed, and I will have my revenge for what you did to my father!"

"Your father… was FAR from perfect, lady!" Dusty responded, narrowing his eyes at her. "What I did to him was NOTHING compared to how he ruined the life of your foster brother… Simon Blackthorn. If you think you're entitled to vengeance… guess again!"

"Hmph! My father raised Blackthorn as his own! Taught him how to be a perfect prosecutor! And this is how he gets repaid!"

"Look… what is your first name?" Dusty asked now, unaware of it.

"Ferika… Ferika von Karswerth… it's a name you won't soon forget." Von Karswerth responded.

"Look, Ferika…"

"It's Ms. Von Karswerth to you!" von Karswerth snapped.

"Fine! Whatever! You look like a young car… your father was a murderer and a psychopath… and I think…"

"All rise, for the Honorable Judge Spinner!" came the announcement, and Dusty was cut off as the black Cadillac Escalade drove into the courtroom now. Dusty elevated himself on his pontoons a bit, and turned to face the by now familiar judge.

"Well, well, well, I never expected to see you back here, Mr. Crophopper." Spinner commented, taking his place behind the podium now.

"Situation demanded it, your honor." Dusty replied.

"Since the defense is going to be losing this case, your honor, I see no sense in wasting time on opening statements." Von Karswerth began with dominance. "I'd like to call my first witness. Everything in this case will be decisive. I need not waste words. My first witness is Detective Crawford of the LAPD!" she snapped, causing Spinner to widen his eyes here.

"Wait… no opening statements?" Spinner inquired, perplexed.

"No need. It's not necessary. I could waste my time telling the jury they'll be convinced by my case, but actions speak louder than words." Von Karswerth stated.

"Uh… very well… you may summon your first witness." Spinner stated, clearly puzzled by this strange behavior. She was cocky and confident… just like her father. It was clear she believed in perfection as well, just like him. For a brief moment, Dusty wondered if she too harbored any dark secrets like her father, but discounted this quickly. It didn't seem likely after all.

Detective Crawford took the stand, though Dusty half-wished it was Spray up there right now. "Detective Crawford… please testify to the court what occurred the day of the murder making use of this diagram." Von Karswerth brought up a diagram of the temple on the screen now, with the channeling chamber dominating the picture.

"Right… well as you can see, the channeling chamber sits in the middle of the temple… only two doors in or out of that place, and both were locked by the defendant. Two gunshots were heard by the defense, and the defense and another witness proceeded to break down the front door. There they witnessed the defendant, Iris, holding a gun and a knife. The victim was killed with a point blank shot to the head. He was also stabbed in his engine block first with an extremely sharp knife, but it had not been enough to cause instantaneous death." Detective Crawford explained. "The gunshot to the head was the definitive cause of his death. Gunpowder burns were on found on the victim's head, indicating the range at which he'd been shot."

"Hmmm… the defense WITNESSED the defendant? Well then… why are you defending her, Mr. Crophopper?" Spinner asked, confused.

"Because… well I do get to cross-examine, don't I?" Dusty asked hopefully.

"I suppose… if you must." Judge Spinner sighed. "Seems pretty straightforward to me."

"Yes but let's start off with this question. To whom did the gun belong, Detective Crawford? Iris doesn't own any such weapons." Dusty pointed out, but he already knew the answer to this question.

"Ah yes… it was the victim's gun, actually. Registered to him. Owned by him." The Ford explained.

"I thought so… so how exactly do you know it was Iris who shot the victim?" Dusty inquired now.

"Because the defendant's markings, including her paint, were found on the gun, AND the knife used to stab the victim. We carefully scanned both items and determined that the defendant had in fact touched both of them."

Dusty bit his bottom lip here. Iris had touched them? That was a stupid thing to do… but maybe she'd been set up somehow. "And… she was doing a channeling though… summoning a spirit. I know it sounds stupid but… she's not responsible for her own actions!"

"Objection!" von Karswerth barked out here. "It doesn't matter if she was channeling. She still KILLED the victim! Who cares if it was premeditated or not? Murder is murder, Mr. Crophopper!"

"Certainly seems so… perhaps you'd like to amend your client to a voluntary carslaughter charge, Mr. Crophopper? I'd be happy to allow you to do so. It clearly wasn't premeditated, after all."

"No! Absolutely not, your honor! That would be an admission of guilt! I'm NOT admitting Iris is guilty so easily!" Dusty defended himself now, causing von Karswerth to smirk.

"Are you SURE? I'm allowing you to do so right here, right now, Mr. Crophopper. You press this further… you may regret it." Clearly she had something planned, but just what, Dusty wasn't sure.

"Absolutely sure!" Dusty nodded with resolution.

"You've just sealed poor Iris's fate! Detective Crawford! Your next piece of evidence, if you please!" von Karswerth ordered now.

"Right… well the defendant was also covered in the victim's oil when we arrested her. It proved that the victim was not fighting back when he'd been killed. Otherwise there'd be a wide splatter of his oil all over the room but… it was just underneath him and all over the defendant." The Ford explained now.

"Positive it was the victim's oil?" Dusty asked.

"Without a doubt. The labs confirmed it." Crawford affirmed.

"But… the defendant was shot!" Dusty pointed out now. "Look at her wing! There's a bullet hole clean through her left wing! The victim DID fight back!"

"Objection!" von Karswerth quickly pounced. "That just supports a voluntary carslaughter charge… something you were so quick to deny just moments ago, Mr. Crophopper." She was sneering at him now in a fashion similar to her father. "You're contradicting yourself now! What's the point of any of this?" she asked sarcastically.

"Well uh… well… I…" Dusty stammered.

"Objection sustained, Ms. Von Karswerth. You going in circles, Mr. Crophopper! Let's wrap this up, shall we? You're not making any valid points!" Judge Spinner banged his gavel and looked in Dusty's direction here.

"Right… sorry, your honor." Dusty had to admit, he was shooting himself in the pontoons here, and only proving the prosecution's case. But where were the weak points? If Iris was truly innocent… why couldn't he prove how? He was hitting walls at every turn here, and von Karswerth was on the top of her game. She was even more masterful than her father, in some ways.

"Present your final piece of evidence then, Detective Crawford! Explain to the defense WHY the defendant has a bullet hole in her wing!" von Karswerth smiled sweetly at him, seemingly having all her points prepared.

"Yep… well our hypothesis is that the victim was able to draw his gun with the last amount of strength remaining to him, and fired at the defendant after he'd been stabbed. However, he missed because the range was too close, and he was weakened, and the defendant tore the gun from him, and shot him point blank in the head. Therefore, we doubt it was voluntary carslaughter… as once the gun was out of his wheels, responding with such deadly force was unnecessary. He was stabbed first after all… the victim was merely defending himself." Crawford outlined.

Dusty closed his eyes, trying to think this through. OK… what did he know so far? Iris was shot… with the first shot… but she couldn't have simply murdered Cutler in such a fashion… so what else had happened? The bullet… the first one… had passed through the screen that Spray had noticed yesterday… but that would mean… Iris would have to be close to the ground near that screen… which was WELL away from Dr. Cutler's corpse! So…

"Hold on!" Dusty broke in now. "The two COULDN'T have been close to each other when Cutler shot the defendant! There are no gunpowder burns on Iris's wing, so she COULDN'T have been THAT close to the victim!"

"Objection!" von Karswerth was certainly aggressive in her attempts at blocking Dusty's defense. "Cutler could've simply pushed the defendant back, drew his gun, and fired!"

"Objection!" This time it was Dusty's turn to fling one out there. "We've already established his oil loss was severe, and that he was weakened to the point of not being able to perform such a stunt! So no, I disagree!"

"Oh yeah? Then fine! Iris pushed the victim back after stabbing him! He then drew his gun and shot her, but she wrestled it away from him and shot him instead! There! Either way, the victim was pushed back! We've established as much!" von Karswerth snapped.

"Objection!" Dusty cut in again. "There was a bullet hole in one of the screens in the corner of the room! Surely the police sweep recorded THIS little piece of evidence, yes, Detective Crawford?"

"Well… yes… we did." Crawford confessed here.

"I saw it yesterday! It was close to the floor! Meaning the defendant's wing had to be close to the floor… almost as if she were squatting down or… lying down… or something! But it was across the room! WHAT was she doing over THERE, hmmm? So she stabs the victim, then crosses the room and does what? Stays there while the victim draws his gun and fires at her? Why wasn't she preparing to finish the victim off… as you CLAIMED Ms. Von Karswerth? Your theory is all wrong!" Dusty practically yelled now, and for once, the Maybach appeared to be on her back wheels now, reversing slightly in surprise.

"Well… uh… that is… this is your fault!" von Karswerth snapped at Crawford now.

"My fault?" the police officer asked, bewildered.

"Yes! You ruined my perfect case with this foolish nonsense! How dare you!" the Maybach barked at the confused Ford.

"All right, all right! Order! Do you concede that the defense has a point, Ms. Von Karswerth?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"Hmph… yes… fine… I do. He has a point. Whoop dee doo!" she declared sarcastically. "So the defendant MIGHT have been across the room when the victim shot her! But so WHAT? I have another witness who can testify with what he saw AND back it up with photographic evidence! I summon FBI Agent Spray Kane to the stand!" von Karswerth snapped, clearly miffed that she'd been shown up by Dusty.

"Fine! Let's hear what Agent Kane has to say!" Judge Spinner slammed his gavel down.

Dusty knew he'd bought himself some time, but needed to wrap this up quickly. If Spray could be trusted… he'd be able to decisively make or break this case… or at the very least… drag it out for another day. His photos could prove important and explain a few things.

As the black crop duster rolled up to the stand, Dusty returned to his desk, trying to catch his breath as he steadied himself for this next round. Von Karswerth was tough… just as tough as her father. But there were at least inconsistencies that he was able to pick up on here and there, and like loose threads, they might unravel her perfect case.

"Go ahead and present your testimony, Agent Kane!" von Karswerth ordered here, fixing him with a stare, which didn't seem to faze him.

"Right… ahem… well Crophopper and I can attest that only Iris and Dr. Cutler entered that room for the channeling. We then heard a gunshot, and then another, and Mr. Crophopper and I decided we'd break in there to see what was going on. We did so, and we saw… some sort of aberration… a mix of Iris and the nurse, Violet Peters, waving a pistol and holding a knife. I snapped a couple of photographs before we were ushered out of the room. I believe the prosecution would like to show one." Spray stated here now, nodding at von Karswerth. Von Karswerth brought up the photo on the screen, and the bizarre mix of the car and plane appeared now, her back to the camera as she gazed at the slumped form of Dr. Cutler. She was clearly holding a gun and a knife, and the court gasped at the alien sight greeting them.

"My word! Is that REALLY the defendant?" Judge Spinner asked, gazing at the photo.

"Yes, your honor. It seems the summoner takes on the form of those they are summoning when they do so. And since Agent Kane just testified that no one else went into the room… who ELSE could it be?" von Karswerth asked now with a smirk. "It IS the defendant we see pictured here! She's the one who shot and killed the victim!"

Dusty knew there wasn't much he could really press Spray on. If he were testifying, he'd pretty much say the same thing Spray had said. "You may cross-examine, Mr. Crophopper." Judge Spinner ordered.

"Right… uh… Agent Kane… um… were you positive that what you saw was the defendant?"

"Not really, but who else could it have been?" Spray asked now. "I mean you saw her… can you prove it was anyone other than the defendant?" It was odd… it wasn't a rhetorical question… Spray was actually asking him if Dusty could really prove otherwise.

"I uh… well… not… not exactly." Dusty confessed here. Spray narrowed his eyes at this.

"You have nothing at all, Mr. Crophopper?" Judge Spinner asked now.

"Of course he doesn't! My case was perfect!" von Karswerth proclaimed triumphantly. "He knew it from the start! I say we hand this one off to the jury, your honor! There's nothing further to add! There's no one else who could've shot the victim, and this photo proves it!"

"Hold it!" This time it was Spray who spoke up now. "I took TWO photos! You only showed one!"

"The second one is irrelevant!" von Karswerth hissed.

"I disagree!" Spray retorted. "I took two photos for a reason! You need to show the second one!"

"But it's not relevant to this case, your honor!" von Karswerth objected.

"I want to see it!" Dusty pressed. "We need to see ALL evidence… regardless of how irrelevant it may seem!"

"But it has NO relevance!" von Karswerth reiterated.

"Please, your honor! You know me! I don't pursue something unless I feel it's worth it! We need to see this second photo!" Dusty persisted.

"Hmmm… yes you're right. Or at least I hope you are. Otherwise it's just a waste of time." Judge Spinner stated. "And I'll have to hold you in contempt of court I'm afraid. Ms. Von Karswerth! Let's see this second photograph!"

"Grrr!" von Karswerth seemed irritated that she was being made to show this off, and Dusty now knew this was incredibly vital evidence. Soon, the second photograph appeared on screen, this time showing the spirit facing the camera. It appeared to show nothing different… except of course that that face was NOT Iris's. But Dusty knew he probably couldn't press this, as von Karswerth would probably explain that away too. Still there had to be a reason she didn't want this photo shown… but what? It was what they had seen the day of the murder… but still…

There it was! Right there! Clear as day! "Aha! Well, well, well!" Dusty was beaming now, and Spray knew he'd caught it. "It seems as if Agent Kane's photograph PROVES something very important! I DON'T see a bullet hole in the wing of this so called ghost, do YOU Ms. Von Karswerth?" Dusty inquired rhetorically now.

"Grrr… I don't…" von Karswerth confessed. "But so what? I didn't think it relevant since the police didn't think it relevant! Hence I refused to use this photograph in court!"

Dusty felt maybe he could nab her on this but… he couldn't prove she didn't feel that way after all… so for now… "But still! This proves it might NOT in fact be the defendant who killed our victim!" Dusty pointed out.

"Objection! Who else could it be?" von Karswerth asked. "This doesn't prove anything! Where did Iris vanish to then, Mr. Crophopper? And more importantly, WHERE did this mysterious attacker come from?" she snapped. "That's WHY this photo is irrelevant! It proves nothing! Answer those questions now!"

"Well… I don't know!" Dusty admitted. "I agree it does seem unlikely that someone could've entered the room but… it IS possible!" he stated here.

"Ha! Good luck proving that!" von Karswerth sneered, grinning at him in skepticism.

"Here!" Dusty produced the key he'd found yesterday now for the court to see. "The key to the summoning chamber!"

"Where on Earth did you get that?" von Karswerth asked in disbelief, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Found it yesterday… in the hallway quite a ways AWAY from the channeling chamber! So tell me… if this is a one of a kind key used to lock the chamber doors… WHY wasn't it found with Iris when the police arrested her? If she never truly left the room as you claim… then WHY is this key here in my possession, and NOT with Iris? Someone ELSE could have entered that room on the day of the crime! It's possible!" Dusty exclaimed now, showing the key off to the court.

"But she would've had to have pass by you, Agent Kane, AND Ms. Fayette, and NONE of you claim to have seen her leave the room!" von Karswerth pointed out.

"On the contrary… there are TWO doors into the chamber! That side door leads right to the hallway where I found the key! So she COULD have left the room on the day of the murder! Just why she would've done this I don't know, but we can't DEFINITIVELY prove she's the killer!" Dusty countered.

"Hmmm… it DOES seem you have a point there, Mr. Crophopper. If the key was found OUTSIDE the channeling chamber, then it is possible for the defendant to have left at some point during the channeling… and furthermore, for someone ELSE to enter the room! Therefore, we CAN'T conclude this trial today until we determine if the defense's rather valid theory is correct! I hereby suspend the trial for another day to give the prosecution and defense time to gather more evidence! Court adjourned!" Spinner slapped his gavel down and brought the proceedings to a close.

Exhaling, Dusty had to admit that this one was certainly up there among the tough cases he'd worked. Von Karswerth hit hard and frequently, and never relented. He could see why she was undefeated so far in her career. Still… he'd bought himself another day to figure this out.

He closed his eyes, but sensed someone next to him as he tried to let the adrenaline leave his system. He could feel his body shaking in relief at what he'd been able to pull off. "I can't believe you did that!" The voice belonged to Iris. "That was amazing, Dusty!" First name again. "But… I honestly don't remember leaving the room!"

"What difference does it make?" Dusty asked as he opened his eyes now. "It was a tactic… that's all. I bought us another day to figure this out… that's all that matters. I doubt you left that room but… who cares? Someone else DID enter that room… and that's exactly what I'm going to get to the bottom of now! I have a pretty good idea who it was though…" he commented now, trailing off as he noticed Spray approaching.

"Great work, Crophopper! I KNEW you'd pick up on what I saw yesterday!" Spray praised.

"So what… you were testing me or something?" Dusty asked suspiciously.

"Hardly… who signs my paychecks, Crophopper?" Spray asked now.

"The Federal Government." Dusty replied.

"Right… and as law enforcement, I work with prosecutors… not defense attorneys. I couldn't testify about the hole because I wasn't asked… but I COULD bring up the second photo because she was illegally withholding evidence. Volo pro veritas, right?" Spray asked now with a wink.

Dusty's face immediately darkened at this phrase. Spray was now certain that Dusty had bad blood between himself and the Wrenches or… something that had to do with them… but maybe it had to do with Blackthorn, too? The firefighter seemed to get defensive about these two things… were they connected? "So… what are you going to do next?" Spray asked, changing the subject.

"Investigate a lead I have… the only one I've got so far." Dusty stated.

"Back to San Juan Tanejo?" Spray asked.

"Sure… for now."

"Mind if I tag along?" Spray asked. "You might need the extra pair of eyes." He tried to do as unobtrusively as possible, as Dusty certainly seemed irritable given certain topics.

"Sure, I don't mind." Dusty replied.

"Great! What's the plan?" Spray inquired, wanting to let Dusty feel as if he were leading this one.

"Find out if Viola Peters is the murderer… and try and find out how Morgan is connected… if she's connected. Find out why the key was not on Iris when she was arrested… and prove how the murder was carried out. Pfft yeah… I think that's it." Dusty stated, staring ahead now.

"Tall order but… let's hop to it!" Spray exclaimed.

"I'll visit you later, Iris, if I find anything further out." Dusty reassured her, and he steeled himself for what lay ahead. So many questions… so little time… but he'd need to put the hammer down and attack it like he did his races… with accuracy and speed. It was time to get some answers…


	18. Chapter 18: The Accident

**Author's Note: **OK so I'm posting TWO chapters tonight to wrap this first case of part two up! SevenStar: You might be on to something there!

**Back to the Story**

Nothing had changed in San Juan Tanejo. No residents outside… not signs of life… no nothing. If Dusty didn't know better, he'd say this village was a movie set, and the actors were out to lunch. But the temple was their target, and the two planes made their way there from the town's entrance archway.

The temple was silent as they entered, but as they neared the channeling chamber, a voice could be heard drifting over to them. "You see, Terry? My plan is nearly complete! You'll be left with nothing, and my angel will soon be our new chief! You'll regret leaving me alone! You'll regret spurning me and leaving me with nothing! You'll regret saying I would never amount to anything ever again! You'll see!"

Looking at each other, the two planes entered the channeling chamber to see Morgan in one of the corners near an altar, conversing with a picture of a smiling red biplane, a sneer upon her features as she talked. But upon sensing others behind her, she quickly slapped the picture face down and rapidly turned to face them. "Oh! Gentleplanes!" The warm smile was back on her face now, and the cold demeanor they'd just witnessed was gone. "Uh… who were you talking to?" Dusty asked.

"Oh just my former husband, Terry Whittaker!" Morgan quickly replied. "It was nothing really… I'm still bitter over his leaving me and taking my daughters away. I talk to him sometimes you see." She explained, still smiling sweetly.

"Uh… OK… you mentioned something about a plan?" Dusty asked now.

"Oh a plan? Oh heavens no! You see… sometimes I feel like getting back at him… he always said I'd amount to nothing after I failed to become chief of our clan. But I'm going to show him… I'm going to show him that his little spiteful vengeance amounted to nothing in the long run." Morgan stated, a dark look entering her eyes now.

"You know… you don't seem to very upset that your daughter is no longer in line to succeed where you failed." Spray pointed out now.

Morgan smirked here. "It'll all work out in the end… you'll see."

"I'm sure… but you haven't visited her once since she was arrested… you haven't even been to the trial." Spray continued. "Such a caring and concerned mother you are. I'm sure your daughter must be leaping for joy knowing her mother's got her back."

Morgan hardened at this, staring at him. "If Iris is found guilty of murder… someone else will take her place… rest assured of that." The way she said that sent a chill through Dusty, causing him to shudder involuntarily. It didn't seem as if Morgan even cared about Iris's wellbeing… but was that because her feud with her husband also carried over to her daughter? She mentioned burying the hatchet but… the "other" that would take Iris's place… was it Dahlia?

"Is there something else I can assist you gentleplanes with?" Morgan asked now, looking from one to the other.

"No… I don't think any assistance from you is necessary." Spray replied dismissively, nodding at Dusty for them to depart. Dusty nodded back, and turned to leave the old plane alone.

"That was bizarre, wouldn't you say?" Spray murmured.

"She clearly still harbors rather strong feelings towards her husband… and not the positive kind." Dusty agreed. "I wonder… I wonder if they also carry over to Iris?" he mused aloud.

"Yeah well I'll tell you one thing… that's ONE mother who doesn't care about her daughter's fate." Spray stated acidly.

"Mm… that's somewhat upsetting." Dusty admitted.

"But completely understandable I guess… still… doesn't give her the right to assist in framing her daughter for murder." Spray replied. "It's a twisted person indeed who'd do that to their own family…"

"Yeah… hey I want to check out the garden." Dusty suggested. "I saw an incinerator out there when I was wandering, and who knows? Maybe it'll hold some clues?"

"Sounds like a good idea. I noticed it myself when I went to collect you. Never thought to look out there though." Spray admitted.

"Yeah well… that key I found was in a hallway that led outside… just a wild guess but… what if whoever killed Cutler took the key and other evidence out the side door and headed to the incinerator?" Dusty asked.

"Would be the logical place to dispose of evidence… and you think the key fell out while they were transporting it?" Spray asked.

"Makes sense to me." Dusty replied. "Let's go and find out if our hunch is correct." Passing by the room Viola usually stayed in, Spray caught something out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey! Dusty! Wait!" Spray nodded into the room now, which wasn't currently occupied. That large box was still there, and Dusty only wondered at what Spray was referring to at first.

"What?" Dusty asked, not seeing it at first.

"Look low… really low." Spray suggested, and Dusty's eyes roved downwards, scanning the bottom half of the box before his eyes finally rested upon it.

"A bullet hole!" He exclaimed, noticing a small circular hole in the bottom of the box.

"Yeah… a bullet hole. About the same height as the hole in the screen… wouldn't you say?" Spray asked. Dusty nodded.

"Yeah… yeah it is… that box was in the room the day of the murder!" Dusty concluded.

"Seems like it… and we know Iris was shot around that screen… what if… what if we didn't see her because she was behind that screen?" Spray suggested now.

"Yeah! Yeah! She was hidden from sight! Unconscious maybe… yes… yes! She could've been drugged either during the channeling or even before!" Dusty stated with excitement. "And… the real killer hid her… but no… not first… hold on, hold on…" Dusty said, beginning to try and replay things in his mind now.

"Go on…" Spray stated, a smile coming on his face. This was exactly how he got when he was solving a puzzle.

"So… Iris is drugged… we know that because she claimed she was dreaming during the channeling… she passes out… the killer somehow gets into the room… but doesn't move Iris first… instead the killer stabs Dr. Cutler first… probably muffling his mouth so we didn't hear anything… then proceeds to start doctoring the scene… you know like smearing…" But they were interrupted by a loud, high-pitched voice behind him.

"Oh heeeeey! It's the hunky firefighter again!" Dusty grimaced, and turned around, as did Spray. "Oooooh and lookey here! A handsome plane with black paint! Double date time?" Viola asked eagerly.

"Uhhh… that's not what double date means!" Dusty pointed out here.

"Well that's what it means to me!" Viola smirked here.

"Sorry miss… we were just talking about some things in your room it seems. Forgive us." Spray apologized.

"Yeah and… are you SURE you weren't the one who introduced Dr. Cutler to Iris?" Dusty asked again.

"Welllll… yeah OK… I did. But I didn't know him before that! I swear!" Viola insisted. "He came to me at the university and asked about channeling, though I don't think he knew who I was. I was researching paranormal stuff at the time, and he wanted to know if I knew of a way to summon ghosts and all that. I didn't realize it was the same guy who worked with my sister until AFTER he'd been killed! Honest!" Viola stated.

"Are you SURE?" Dusty asked now.

"Yeah! He didn't know me… I didn't know him. I only found out like… the day of his murder since like… that's when I found out who he was summoning." Viola explained.

"Hmm… of course." Dusty replied. "Anyway… let's go, Spray. Gotta check some things out."

"Right." Spray and Dusty moved past Viola, who watched them go. "You think she's telling the truth?"

"Nope!" Dusty answered as soon as they were out of range. "I think she's our killer… and she did it with Morgan's help. There's no way she could've pulled this off on her own… but we need to prove it."

The two came to the gardens, and made their way over to the large incinerator in the far corner. Peering inside, Spray switched on a light on his wing and panned it around to try and spot anything in the black interior. "Something was definitely burned in here recently… fresh charred remains but… hold on!" Reaching his wing inside, Spray brought out a large chunk of something that had been sitting way in the back. "What do you make of this?" Inspecting it, the two could see it was a portion of what looked like a piece of costume or something. It was white in color, but was covered in oil on certain parts of it.

"Hey! That looks like…" Dusty trailed off.

"Yeah… that white Jaguar 'ghost' we saw in the channeling chamber. Plus there's oil on it… the 'ghost' was covered in oil too!" Spray finished.

"Yeah… this is seeming more and more like an elaborate ruse! If that was just a big disguise we saw…"

"Then there was no ghost in the first place!" Spray broke in.

"Yeah… seems that way. This was all a setup from the start!" Dusty exclaimed. He began thinking again. "Hey Spray… what did you find out about Viola Peters?" he asked now.

"Not much… student at UCLA… she had been hospitalized a year ago at some place called the Hattai Clinic and-"

"Hospitalized?" Dusty asked now, taking interest in this. "For what?"

"I didn't get that far before Cutler was murdered. She seemed unimportant until now…" Spray confessed.

"The Hattai Clinic… I wonder…" Dusty stated, trailing off now. "Let's head to that clinic… I'm curious now."

"Patient records can sometimes be confidential." Spray pointed out.

"Well… you're an FBI agent… throw your weight around." Dusty responded, smiling now.

"Yeah… sure." Spray replied, rolling his eyes, but smiling too. "Hey uh… before we do that… would you mind answering a question?" Spray asked. "And please… don't get mad at me but… I really want to know."

"OK…" Dusty paused now, turning back around.

"So… what's the story with you and Blackthorn? You seem to get very defensive whenever he's mentioned… but… I'd like to know. I mean I thought you were friends…"

Dusty's face hardened here, and he stared at Spray. "'Prosecutor Simon Blackthorn chooses death.' You familiar with that phrase?" Dusty asked darkly.

"Yes… it was the note he left after he vanished…" Spray stated.

"No… not after he vanished… after he killed himself… like a coward! 'Prosecutor Simon Blackthorn chooses death.' He couldn't handle reality! He couldn't accept that I had saved him… and that he only truly cared about perfection! I held out hope at first… hope that maybe I was wrong… that he wasn't dead… but it's been six months! He took his own life because he was a coward! He hurt his friends in ways that just felt like a knife in the back! I mean I helped him! I cleared his name! And he chose the coward's way out! Didn't even come to me for help! I mean how… how could he?" Dusty asked, fighting back tears now as his voice cracked.

"Dusty… we never found a body… I'm not entirely sure he's dead…" Spray began, but Dusty cut him off.

"Or he dumped himself into some sewer and was never seen again!" Dusty retorted. "He threw himself off a cliff… he's buried someplace we'll never find him! No… and even if… even if he's alive… who cares?" Dusty asked now.

"Maybe he just needed to figure things out… needed some time…" Spray tried softly.

"Yeah? Well he didn't do it with any of his friends! Planes and cars who cared about him!" Dusty pointed out bitterly now. "Why wouldn't he come to me? Why… why DO THAT?" Dusty asked angrily. "No… Blackthorn's a coward and… and… not my friend…" Dusty avoided stammering, but he turned from Spray now, shaking his head. "I thought volo pro veritas would've helped him… instead it just… I don't even know! I don't know what to believe in anymore!" The firefighter began rolling off through the gardens now, which provided an odd contrast with his mood. It was such a peaceful setting but…

Spray closed his eyes, wincing a little. Blackthorn had hurt Dusty… he could see that now but… there was a chance he was still out there… and Spray wasn't going to give up until he found him. But how would that make Dusty feel? Seeing someone who'd hurt him in such a fashion…

Opening his eyes, Spray moved to follow after Dusty, hoping that if things could be set right, then either he or Blackthorn would be the one to do it… if he was alive.

The Hattai Clinic was a small, privately owned place in Century City. It seemed to cater to mostly wealthy clientele, and specialized in reconstructive surgery. That was an immediate tipoff to Dusty, as his suspicions were only growing about this place the more he found out. Fortunately for them, Spray was in fact able to "throw his weight around", and his badge managed to get them permission to speak with Dr. Hattai himself, a plane from India who'd been practicing surgery since well before his immigration.

His office was impressive, as one might expect from his profession. Restoring vehicles to their former beauty was his forte, and Dusty expected nothing less than the mahogany desk, carpeted floors and paintings hanging on the walls. "Please, gentleplanes, what can I assist you with?" Hattai asked, offering them a winning smile as he took his place behind his desk. "You mentioned something about an FBI investigation into one of my clients? A Ms… Peters I believe it was?"

"Yes… see me and my partner…" Spray looked at Dusty now. "Are investigating Ms. Viola Peters. She may be involved in something of great interest to the FBI… I'm afraid I can't go into any further detail than that but… we'd like as much information on her as possible about her hospitalization here and the procedure you conducted on her."

"Of course… anything I can do to help the FBI. I'm a clean plane, Agent Kane… of that you can be assured." Hattai reassured him. "Now then I believe Ms. Peters came in here about a year ago suffering horrible burns from an accident. She needed complete body reconstruction based on her driver's license." Hattai explained.

"And… was she… I mean could you even recognize her with her burns? What kind of car was she?" Dusty asked.

"Well according to the license she provided, she was a Jaguar F Type, but no… she was burned so badly it wasn't possible to recognize what kind of car she was before that. It was rather terrible you see." Hattai stated sadly.

"I'm sure it was… what kind of accident?" Dusty asked now.

"Ah yes… she and her sister were driving home from her sister's work one night, and her sister fell asleep, crashed into her, and forced her into a wall. She just barely escaped but her sister sadly… perished in the blaze." Hattai outlined.

Dusty looked at Spray now. "Viola never mentioned she was in her sister's accident! That's quite the oversight, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah… quite the oversight." Spray agreed. "When was she discharged?" Spray asked now.

"Well we weren't able to operate until her burns had healed… but I'd say about six months ago." Hattai offered.

"Thanks Dr. Hattai… any further questions, partner?" Spray asked, looking over at Dusty now.

"Nope, think that covered it!" Dusty replied. "Thanks for your time, Dr. Hattai."

"Anything for the FBI." Hattai smiled now as he moved from behind his desk to show them out.

Back at San Juan Tanejo, Spray and Dusty headed back to the temple to speak with Viola once more. "So… what do you think?" Spray asked Dusty as they rolled down the dirt road.

"I think… it gives Viola motive for wanting Dr. Cutler dead. She watched her sister burn alive in front of her… that'd be pretty strong reason for wanting to see someone dead." Dusty responded.

"But… something still isn't adding up here." Spray added. "See… if she was discharged six months ago… why wait till now to take her revenge? Surely it couldn't have taken her six months to plan this whole thing out!"

"Yeah… I'm not sure. But that's what I'm going to find out!" Dusty declared.

They entered the temple and headed towards Viola's room, and fortunately, she was in at the moment, reading her books as usual. Looking up to greet them, she seemed amused that they kept dropping by. "What is it now? Reconsidered my double date offer?" she smirked.

"Nope… but we know about your sister's accident… and that you were there…" Dusty began, whipping out the big guns.

Viola's face seemed to fall now, and she darkened visibly. "So… caught on, have you? Yes… I was there…"

"What happened?" Dusty asked softly.

"My sister fell asleep while driving… I picked her up after work, and we were heading home… she'd just been fired by that horrible doctor… and well… she crashed into me, forced me into a wall, and well… fire broke out… I managed to push myself off from her and I… I was covered in flames… I couldn't save her… I watched her scream and die… and… and… I just know…"

"Know what?" Dusty asked.

"Hmph… that doctor drugged her… with sleeping pills! That's why she fell asleep! He murdered her! That's not something I've ever told anyone before… but there it is! I think Dr. Cutler murdered my sister!" Viola proclaimed.

"I see… that would give you motive… and you have no alibi according to the police… you were here at the temple the whole time during the murder. You know what I think, Ms. Peters? I think you were the one who killed Dr. Cutler!" Dusty declared, to which Viola smirked now, but not her usual ditzy smirk… it was a confident smirk… one that stated she was extremely pleased that he'd figured it out.

"Ha! That's a pretty bold claim, Mr. Firefighter! Yes! I have motive for wanting Cutler dead! And yes! I also had opportunity! But you know what? Good luck proving any of it! You know what I think's going to happen in tomorrow's trial? You're going to crash and burn… and you WON'T be putting your own fire out! I'm testifying tomorrow about what I saw that day!" she declared.

"What?" Dusty gasped, surprised at this. "You were a witness?"

"Oh yes! I saw something that'll prove your client is guilty! You better be ready, Mr. Firefighter! I'm going to serve you up a slice of some humble pie!" Viola triumphantly stated.

"We'll see about that!" Dusty shot back, narrowing his eyes. "Come on Spray… let's go. Seems there's nothing further to say here."

Heading away from the room now, Viola smirked at them as they headed out, watching them proceed down the hallway.

"She didn't deny it." Spray commented.

"Of course she didn't! She's the killer! And if she's testifying… it'll be a lie! And I'll pick it apart!" Dusty declared with determination.

"She's tipping her wheel too soon it seems." Spray replied. "Mind if I watch the trial? I'm curious as to how this will play out."

"Certainly… we'll get to the bottom of this! We're so close… we just need to answer a few more questions and we'll be there! Like why Morgan's involved… and why Viola didn't act six months ago when she was discharged. But still… we'll figure this out!"

"Where to next?" Spray inquired.

"I'm going to visit Iris to ask her about a few things… it might clear up Morgan's involvement. I know she wasn't the killer because she was with us the whole time but… as an accomplice… that's another possibility entirely." Dusty commented.

"Yeah no kidding. If Viola was wearing a disguise and carried out the murder… Morgan HAD to have known! She didn't perform no spirit severing technique! She most likely got Viola out of there and helped doctor the scene to get her daughter blamed!" Spray agreed.

"Yeah… which is why I need to confirm a few things first. So I'll see you tomorrow in court, Spray." Dusty told the FBI agent.

"Yeah sure… no problem. I think we've got this! Just a few more pieces and this puzzle is complete!" Spray stated confidently, and started up his engine now as they reached the edge of the town, Dusty following suit after Spray took to the skies, his engine sputtering and then roaring into life as his propeller spun rapidly in front of his eyes.

Night had fallen over the greater Los Angeles area, and the detention center visiting hours were almost up by the time Dusty rolled up to the plate glass window to see Iris. "Hello, Dusty." She greeted him, using his first name this time. "How much have you found out?"

"Quite a bit. I think Viola Peters committed the murder. I think you were drugged, either during the channeling, or before it. That's why you were dreaming. I think I know how the murder was committed… but I wanted to ask you about your mother… and your relationship with her." Dusty stated.

"Oh… my mother? Why?" Iris asked now.

"I think she was an accomplice to this murder. Can you think of any reason why she'd want to set you up though?" he asked her here.

"My mother? An accomplice?" Iris asked, sounding surprised at this. "But why?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that." Dusty informed her. "See… she didn't seem concerned at all that you'd be convicted of murder… did you really patch things up with her? When did you get back in touch with her?"

"Uh… well about a few months ago really. I hadn't spoken with her since then… I mean I just always was closer to my father than I was with her." Iris told him.

"But you also lied to me. You said the name Dahlia rings no bells but… she's your sister! Your twin in fact! You lived with her and your father when your father took you!" Dusty stated now. "I mean… why would you lie about her?"

Iris seemed panicked about this now, her eyes darting from left to right, and her speech strained when she did talk. "Um… well… I-I just didn't… I put my old life behind me in preparation for my new life… and…"

"Iris… why? What are you hiding from me? Do you know something about Dahlia I should know? I mean… I dated her after all! What are you keeping from me?" Dusty demanded.

"I just… please, Dusty. I'd rather just… not say right now." She said softly.

"Ugh! This is so frustrating! You and your secrets! Fine… whatever. But your mother… is she hoping Dahlia would take your place as head of the clan?" Dusty asked now.

"I… I don't know… Dahlia… I think reconnected with my mother earlier than I did… by several years. But I mean… is my mother really that cruel that she'd do that to me?" Iris asked, clearly hurt.

"Well… it certainly seems like it. She really seems bitter at your father." Dusty stated.

"She never gave any indication to me!" Iris replied.

"Yes well… she's a clever plane, Iris. I wouldn't put it past her if she planned this whole thing… but I'll find out tomorrow. Just... hold tight, OK? And if I clear your name… you owe me some answers." He chuckled.

"I suppose I do… anyway, thank you… for everything you've done." Iris stated. "I'll see you tomorrow." She said as visiting hours were announced to be at an end over the loudspeaker.

"Yes… you will… and I'll be clearing your name to boot! See you tomorrow!"


	19. Chapter 19: Violet and Viola

**Author's Note**: The finale of the first of two cases in part two! Hope you all liked it, and Dusty's greatest challenge lays ahead of him when a close friend of his will be kidnapped and he'll be forced into working a case with a surprising twist!

**Back to the Story**

Dusty was waiting anxiously as Judge Spinner brought court to session the next morning. Von Karswerth was back, and looking extremely pleased with herself, and Dusty only wondered what tricks she'd be pulling out on this one.

"So… has it been determined how the defendant left the locked chambers?" Judge Spinner asked the two of them.

"It has, your honor!" von Karswerth responded with a smirk. "As you will see, that second photograph IS the defendant… she simply left the chamber after the murder but before she was arrested. To prove this, I summon Morgan Fayette, mother of the defendant, to the stand!" von Karswerth called on her first witness. "As you'll see, your honor, the key could've easily been dropped in the hallway when the defendant was out of the chamber."

Morgan was the first witness? That was odd… Dusty hadn't been expecting her. What could Morgan possibly say? This would be harder for him now, as attacking her testimony would be difficult, since Dusty hadn't actually been in the chamber.

Morgan rolled up to the stand, smiling in her sweet fashion that Dusty knew by now was complete crap. "Witness! Testify as to what occurred in the channeling chamber the day of the murder!" von Karswerth ordered.

"Gladly." Morgan replied with a smile. "Well… after I ushered out the two gentleplanes you see over at the defense's bench and told them to call the police, my daughter unfortunately became very violent… I tried to stop her, but she attacked me while I was conducting the spirit severing technique, and knocked me unconscious. She must've escaped from the chamber during that time, using her key, because when I came to a few moments later, she wasn't there. I wasn't able to fully sever the spirit until she returned, at which point I did so, and the police arrived. It was truly terrible but… there was nothing further I could do…" Morgan sighed, looking regretfully out at the gathered assemblage in the court.

Dusty would have to give her credit… she was a great actor. He knew that story was complete nonsense, but… how he'd refute any of it he wasn't sure.

"You may cross-examine the witness, Mr. Crophopper." Spinner ordered, looking at him now.

"Mmm… right…" Dusty rolled out from behind his table now. "Uh… Ms. Fayette… about how long were you out for, would you say?"

"A few minutes… not very long… I was knocked senseless then I came to." Morgan explained.

"And… your daughter came back into the chamber a few moments later?" Dusty asked.

"Yes… I would say so." Morgan replied.

"You didn't… try to look for her?" Dusty continued.

"No… by the time I felt well enough to move, she was already stepping back into the chamber." Morgan explained.

"Hm… um… well I don't really think I have anything further, your honor. No more questions. The defense rests." Dusty relented. He had nothing against her, and he knew it.

"Very well then. Ms. Von Karswerth, any questions?" Judge Spinner asked.

"No further questions, your honor. Prosecution rests." She stated.

"You're dismissed, Ms. Fayette! Next witness please, from the prosecution!" Judge Spinner ordered.

"Yes, your honor!" von Karswerth smirked at Dusty here. "It turns out the defendant went to go see someone after she exited the chamber. That someone witnessed her speaking to them… and I next call this witness to the stand! Ms. Viola Peters!"

There it was… it was about time Viola was brought up. Morgan's testimony had been pretty bulletproof, but only because Dusty had lacked any solid evidence against her. The Jaguar appeared in the court now to take the stand, and Dusty knew this was it. He was going to prove she was the killer… and take her testimony apart one lie at a time.

Viola was sworn in, and began her testimony. "So… like, I was sleeping at the time of the murder but like… I woke up cause someone was standing in my doorway! It was my sister… and like… that plane! Her spirit was in that plane! She told me she'd been drugged with sleeping pills by that doctor, and that's why she'd killed him. She then left… and that's the last I saw of her…"

"The hallway where your room is is also where you found the key, isn't it, Mr. Crophopper?" von Karswerth asked him now.

"Yes…" Dusty confirmed softly.

"Hmmm! Well that seems decisive! Though this whole case is… so strange! Spirits? Ghosts? Who really committed this murder?" Spinner asked.

"Oh it was assuredly the defendant, your honor… she just wasn't able to control the spirit, sadly. Anyway… any questions, Crophopper?" von Karswerth asked.

"Actually yes." Dusty nodded. "May I cross-examine, your honor?"

"Certainly!" Judge Spinner replied.

"So Ms. Peters… did you notice anything unusual about your sister? Violet, was it?" Dusty asked.

"Yes… Violet. And no… not really. It was a bit strange to see her but… no…" Viola shook her head.

"Ahem… your DEAD sister… appears in your doorway… COVERED in engine oil… and you DON'T think this strange?" Dusty asked now. "You weren't frightened? Terrified?"

"Welllll…" Viola began now. "See like… it was dark my room… the lights were off… and I couldn't really see any oil in the darkness. I told my sister that what she did was wrong, and I began helping her back to the chamber. I only saw Morgan in the chamber."

"No one else in the hallway?" Dusty asked now.

"Nope… just me and my sis… that's all… the hallway was pretty dark too… the lights were off… so I guess that's why I didn't really freak out." Viola explained.

This was a load a crap, if Dusty had ever seen it. "Hmmm see you saw no one else… and that's strange because… I didn't see YOU either!" Dusty smirked here.

"Huh?" Viola asked.

"See I went down that hallway shortly after breaking into the chamber… and I didn't see you at all… the first time I saw you was in your room… claiming you had just woken up… which you clearly hadn't… it seems." Dusty stated resolutely. "I didn't see you head back to your room at all in fact! To be quite frank… I think you were in the channeling chamber already!"

"Objection! Can you prove any of this, Mr. Crophopper?" von Karswerth snapped. "Just WHERE in the channeling chamber was Ms. Peters supposedly? You yourself claimed only two vehicles went into the chamber! The defendant, and the victim! So where was Ms. Peters then, hmmm?"

"She was there from the start… hiding inside a massive box usually holding robes. BEHIND one of the screens in the corner of the room! The very one that had a bullet hole in it!" Dusty exclaimed now. "Ms. Viola Peters is the murderer! She disguised herself using a costume… part of which we retrieved yesterday!" Dusty presented the oil-covered scrap of the costume to the court. "She waited until the summoning had started, slipped out of the box, put on the disguise, and proceeded to murder Turner Cutler!"

"Objection! That's an awful lot for one car to pull off, Mr. Crophopper! You're saying she hid herself in a box… that was in the room, behind a screen, made up a disguise to fool everyone, and then killed Cutler all on her own?" von Karswerth asked skeptically.

"Of course not! She had an accomplice! The previous witness, Morgan Fayette, was her accomplice, and was lying in her testimony!" Dusty declared now. "Here's what happened! Viola Peters was inside the box before the two even entered the room! Morgan Fayette dragged the box behind the screen shortly before the channeling, then, once the doors were locked and both vehicles had their eyes closed, Viola Peters slipped out, donned her disguise, which could have ALSO been behind the screen, and proceeded to drug the defendant! Perhaps a syringe right into her exposed gas tank would've immobilized her in seconds! She then proceeded to place her tire over Cutler's mouth and stab him with the knife! She THOUGHT she had finished him off when he slumped forward and appeared to die… but as she was smearing the defendant in oil and getting her markings on the knife, something unexpected occurred! The victim WASN'T dead! The plan was for Ms. Peters to hide Iris behind the screen, then create witnesses in case anyone entered the room. They would see her in disguise, and assume it was Iris and the 'spirit!' But as she was moving Iris behind the screen… Cutler fired at her from across the room with what remaining strength he had! So then when Mr. Kane and I broke into the room, we saw Ms. Peters in her disguise, but not Iris, because she was already behind the screen! No one suspected anything because Morgan quickly ushered us out, but once we were gone, she proceeded to get Ms. Peters back into the box, push it out the side door and into Ms. Peters's room, and further doctor the scene before the police arrived!" Dusty smiled proudly as he explained his theory, but von Karswerth actually began laughing at him, guffawing as if he had just dropped his lunch tray with a resounding crash.

"Oh that's rich, Mr. Crophopper! First off… you have no proof! Second… what motive would Ms. Peters have for murdering Cutler, hmm?" von Karswerth asked condescendingly, smiling at him as if she were looking at a small child.

"Her sister's death!" Dusty shot back. "Not ONLY was her sister Violet killed in a car accident, which Viola admitted to, but Viola was present at said accident, and we have a doctor who can testify to that! Ms. Peters suffered a lot of emotional and physical pain that night… and she harbored it during her reconstructive surgery! She'd want Cutler dead for what he did to her sister… or at least what she thought he had done!"

"Ha! That's the best you got?" This time it was Viola now, who was back to her steely, darker self. "There was no PROOF that Cutler drugged my sister! Even if I HAD wanted revenge… which I hadn't… why wait six months to get it? Need I remind you that it was Cutler who came to ME about channeling? Pfft! Why would I wait? Why would I even let him contact me if I wanted revenge? Can you answer THOSE questions?" Viola challenged.

"Hmm… she has a point, Mr. Crophopper." Judge Spinner agreed. "This seems like an awfully complicated plot for revenge, and why wait, as she said? Furthermore, your claims of Morgan Fayette being an accomplice lacks any proof she has a motive for WANTING to help in this overly complex plot! To top it all off… Ms. Von Karswerth is RIGHT! You have no proof regarding any of this! Just a great story! That's all it is! Can you prove a shred of what you're saying?"

"Yes!" Dusty bluffed, even though he had absolutely nothing. He couldn't back down now! He'd come this far! There HAD to be a reason for why Viola had chosen to kill Cutler in the fashion she did! "However… I request a brief recess to prepare my next cross-examination!"

"Hold it!" Viola shouted. "I'm done with this! I testified! My cross-examination is over! I'm going home! You can't MAKE me testify any further unless you have solid proof against me!" the Jaguar snapped.

"Wait a moment!" von Karswerth cut in now. "I want you to testify!"

"WHAT?" Viola hissed. "Why?"

"Because… I want to see Crophopper continue making a fool of himself… and I want my victory over him to be complete and perfect! I will crush him here and now! I want you to testify!" von Karswerth practically ordered Viola. "I CAN order the police to hold you without reason for 24 hours after all… so you may as WELL testify!"

"Ugh! I can't believe this!" Viola stamped her wheel on the ground angrily. "You miserable Maybach!" Viola threw a pretty profane curse von Karswerth's way, but she only smirked at her in response.

"Very well! We may as well hear more testimony! I order a 30 minute recess for the defense to prepare! We'll reconvene in 30 minutes!" Judge Spinner ordered, slapping his gavel down.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Dusty knew he had only moments to gather his thoughts and figure out just how he was going to do this. He decided to move out into the lobby to grab a cup of oil and think things through.

"Wow! Can you actually prove any of this?" Spray asked as they made their way to the doors now.

"Nope! I totally bluffed!" Dusty admitted there.

"WHAT? Are you insane? You can't do that!" Spray exclaimed. "You're gonna lose this case!"

"NOT if I do this right!" Dusty replied.

"But Dusty… this is NOT volo pro veritas! You can't do things like this!" Spray insisted.

"There's no other way! I have to bluff and make my way through this!" Dusty fought back.

"But…" Spray trailed off as a vroom could be heard from behind them, and he closed his eyes. "Angry Maybach at six o'clock."

"Crophopper!" von Karswerth crowed. "You are finished! You've got nothing! And I'll prove it! Very soon your defeat will be complete! I will smear your remains over the floor when this trial is over!"

"Maybe…" Dusty responded darkly here, causing Spray to stare in shock at this new Dusty. "But even if you do… it won't bring your father back…" Dusty finally softened here now. That could've easily been an insult, but it wasn't.

Von Karswerth seemed caught off guard by this retort, and scowled at him. "Hmph! Just prepare to lose! Prepare for total and utter defeat! I will destroy you!" Revving her engine to make him jump, she drove off in a huff, causing him to merely shake his head after her as she departed.

"Dusty! What are you doing?" Spray asked frantically. "This isn't the Dusty Crophopper I've heard so much about! I mean I understand you're desperate but…"

"Volo pro veritas is a lie…" Dusty stated acidly. "You have to do what it takes to in a situation like this… truth or no truth."

"No! That's… I can't believe this…" Spray trailed off here, in disbelief. "You aren't going to do anything dirty, are you?"

"Of course not… I'm just gonna try and pick her apart… prove she's the murderer." Dusty stated.

"Well… all right… but be careful, OK? You're treading on thin ice here! Von Karswerth is gonna win this if you aren't careful! This isn't the time to go pulling out hail Mary plays here!"

"I have no choice!" Dusty insisted. "Look let me just think about things, OK? I'm going to win this thing! I'll prove that crazy Jaguar did it! I know she did!"

"Right… just… be careful, OK?" Spray reiterated here.

Court reconvened 30 minutes later when Judge Spinner reopened the proceedings. "So… Mr. Crophopper… what do you got for us? How are you going to prove that Viola wanted Cutler dead?"

"Well there's only one thing that connects the two… the accident from a year ago… Ms. Peters… please testify about that." Dusty asked Viola now. He felt this was the key, and it was the only thing he'd been able to come up with during the break. That was the sole connection they had.

"OK fine. So that night… Violet was extremely tired. I picked her up from the hospital, and we began driving home. I was on to her left, she was to my right. My sister suddenly nodded off, and crashed into me, forcing me into a wall. I burst into flames… as did she… I barely managed to wiggle out and crawl away from there but Violet… she didn't make it… she… she…" Viola trailed off here, staring ahead, and it was clear she was trying hard to cry.

"Why did you drive at all with your sister if she was so tired? Why not just… I dunno, hook her up to a tow and you take her home?" Dusty asked softly.

"I didn't have a driver's license at the time…" Viola replied. "Violet would… cover for me. She'd drive outside while I stayed inside."

"Impossible! You used your driver's license for your reconstructive surgery! That's a lie!" Dusty stated now.

"Well… I got it after the accident…"

"Dr. Hattai says otherwise!" Dusty pushed back. "No! You HAD it at the time!"

"Well he's wrong!" Viola retorted. "I didn't get mine till AFTER the accident! I was still learning how to drive at the time! Besides… even if I DID have one… there's no way Violet would've let me do that!"

"Why not?" Dusty asked now, curious.

"Because… my sister loved her make and model type. She LOVED driving… that was the thing she loved the most about life… driving. She'd ALWAYS drive… and because I DIDN'T have a license… she wouldn't let me tow her home!" Viola insisted.

Dusty closed his eyes, and thought about this. "You know… you mentioned being sandwiched against the wall… your sister crashed into YOU… how did you escape from that? I would think your sister would be the one to escape… not you…" Dusty pointed out now.

"Well… I… I managed to wriggle out…"

"But you're a smaller Jaguar than your sister's model." Dusty pointed out now. "She was a sedan… you're a sports car. I think something's fishy here… I think… if what you said was true about having no license… that you were on the right… she was on the left… furthermore… I think… YOU are Violet Peters! Viola was the one who died that night!" Gasps and uproars broke out in the court now as everyone began discussing this possibility, words flying around in a flurry as Dusty stared at her. "You survived the wreck because you were on the OUTSIDE… YOU fell asleep that night… you crashed into Viola… Viola died… and you provided your sister's photo to the surgeons for them to reconstruct you… as your sister! See THAT'S why you needed to kill Cutler! You didn't WANT revenge! You wanted a new life! You wanted to escape the pain… the suffering… the sorrow… so you BECAME your sister! You couldn't forgive yourself for what had happened that night! So you tried to forget by starting a new life… but then Dr. Cutler contacted you by complete coincidence! He wanted to channel your sister… but he REALLY wanted to channel YOU! You knew this wouldn't work because well… you were still alive! If Cutler found out the truth, your new life would be in jeopardy! THAT'S why you had to kill him! If he found out your secret, everything would be ruined! He'd pursue you to get you to confess! So that's why… you HAD to kill him to protect your new identity!" Dusty outlined, his engine firing on all cylinders now.

"What?" von Karswerth asked incredulously. "That's… that's not…"

"It's true…" Viola cut her off. "I am Violet Peters… the nurse. I never died that night… my sister Viola did… he's right…" Violet confessed now.

"Wait! Why become her sister though?" Judge Spinner asked. "She goes from being a nurse to a student? I mean that's… not a GREAT switch!"

"Because… Cutler was right about the malpractice incident… Violet WAS the one behind that… she had made a mistake… maybe because he worked her too hard… who knows? But she had gotten fired… and then lost her sister shortly afterwards. She lost everything… her job… her sister… WHY continue to live that life? She wanted to escape… she wanted her pain to end… and I… I don't blame her." Dusty said here now, sniffing a bit as he stared at Violet. "But I DO blame her for murdering Cutler… I understand you wanted to protect yourself but… that wasn't the way…"

"There was no other way…" Violet replied now. "He would've just gone after someone else if I had turned him down. He would've realized that I had never really died in the first place… it would never have stopped! I had to do SOMETHING to ensure that it did! I HAD to!" Violet insisted now.

"But now… now you're going to jail…" Dusty replied sadly.

"It was worth a shot…" was all Violet said at first. "Anyway I'll confess… and yes, I'll confirm that Morgan Fayette was my accomplice. She helped me set up everything… she hid me in the box… got the box out of the room after you two were herded out… yeah… she helped. She helped me plan the whole thing too. Since I was nurse… I knew what kind of drugs to use to incapacitate Iris… you were correct. I used a syringe… right into her fuel tank… she didn't even feel it… it was…"

"Why? Why did Morgan help you set up her own daughter?" Dusty asked.

"I have no idea… but if I'm going down… she's coming with me…" Violet stated. "I'll testify… to everything. How we set it up… how we carried it out… it was all like you said. Morgan was supposed to destroy the evidence, including my costume, but she must've dropped the key on the way to the incinerator." Violet speculated. "I didn't even notice it in the hallway. Stupid really… how the small things you leave behind can all come back to bite you in the end."

"I'm sorry… I truly am. But I still feel there could've been another way… for you to be happy… to escape your pain…" Dusty said softly.

"Well Ms. Von Karswerth?" Judge Spinner asked, waiting for her to dismiss her charges.

"I… I… DON'T BELIEVE THIS!" she roared, revving her engine. "I CAN'T ACCEPT THIS! I COULDN'T HAVE LOST TO YOU!" she snarled. "IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Oh it's quite possible! Dismiss the charges against my client! Do it!" Dusty ordered, growing cross.

"I… I…"

"Ms. Von Karswerth…" Judge Spinner said chidingly. "If you don't…"

"FINE! State dismisses all charges! HAPPY?" she asked, turning and driving off for the doors in disgust now.

"Bailiff! Ensure that Ms. Fayette is arrested! She needs to answer for what she's done!" Judge Spinner ordered, and the bailiff moved off to see to it that this was carried out.

Iris moved up to Dusty now, smiling as she kissed him upon his side, causing him to gaze at her in astonishment. "What was that for?"

"For saving me… Dusty. But why would my mother…?" she asked now.

"I… don't know if she ever forgave you for siding with your father. Or maybe she just hated you because you made no effort to contact her unlike Dahlia. I think… I think she wanted Dahlia to succeed you… I'm sorry, Iris." Dusty said now. "I wish I didn't have to tell you that."

"I understand…" she closed her eyes and slumped a bit here. "I just can't believe… any of this."

"I know… but… it's true."

"I remember what that familiar smell was now…" Iris commented thoughtfully. "When I was asleep… it was my old clothes… I was near that box… and that's what I smelled… yes…" she smiled here.

"Oh… that's right. Well… anyway… what will you do now?" Dusty asked.

"I suppose become clan chief… as I was going to do. I just wish I'd had a successful channeling first." She admitted, sighing.

"There was never a spirit to channel in the first place. It was all an elaborate trick." Dusty smiled here. "So… do you speak to Dahlia anymore?" Dusty asked now.

"Not… really." Iris confessed.

"I'd love to see her again…" Dusty hinted hopefully.

"I… don't think that's a good idea… Dusty." Iris told him.

"Why not? Iris you owe me some answers. Why did you want me present for the channeling?" Dusty asked. "Why did you conceal the fact that Dahlia was your sister?"

"Dusty I… I'm sorry… I'm not ready to reveal that yet… I wanted you there because… I feel calm…" she didn't finish that sentence. "I'm sorry! I need to go! Thank you for everything! I'll tell you… someday… when I'm… more courageous than I am now… I promise." She suddenly moved away from him now, not looking back… but she had said something under her breath… and despite the noise in the courtroom… Dusty thought she had said "I love you…" before she had headed away.

Raising a brow in confusion as he gazed after her, he could only muse over the mysterious Iris… who was she? Did she know him? Why couldn't she just tell him these things? She… loved him? Had she really said that? This just got weirder and weirder!

"Hey! You did it!" Spray's voice was in his ear now, and he turned to face the FBI agent.

"Yeah… guess I did… too bad I didn't get all the answers." Dusty replied.

"Well… knowing you… you will… you will." Spray responded knowingly, offering him a smile here. "Anyway… it was a pleasure to work with you… you're… mostly what I'd heard about." Spray stated. "I suppose you're heading home now?"

"Yeah… I think so." Dusty confirmed.

"How about I buy you a drink before you take to the skies… and I get back to work?" Spray offered.

"You don't have to…" Dusty responded.

"But I insist. It's no problem." Spray persisted. "Let's go… come on…" he said, noticing Dusty seemed distracted as he stared off into space. Spray put his wing on Dusty, and began moving him towards the door. "All right… let's go, firefighter."

As Dusty took off into the setting sun, wheeling towards the San Gabriel Mountains and Propwash Junction, Spray watched him go as he entered into a phone call. "I thought you were dead…"

"Yes well… I almost chose that route but… I truly realized what it was he had shown me." Was the response.

"You know… I'm glad to hear your voice… I was disappointed… but… there's one who's even worse off than I am. Crophopper. He's… devastated, to say the least." Spray commented.

"I see… perhaps it's time I should make my return then. I watched his latest case on TV… he's good… but you say he's devastated?" asked the other voice.

"He doesn't believe in volo pro veritas anymore…" Spray trailed off.

"That wasn't my intent… well then… I'll show him what he showed me."

"Sounds good… I look forward to your return… Mr. Blackthorn." Spray stated, then finished up the call as Dusty became a mere dot on the horizon…

Deep in the confines of her prison cell, Morgan Fayette sat and stared at the wall, her propeller removed, and her bright red color changed to a prison orange. She had a serene if slightly crazed look on her face. "My dear Dahlia… I did this all for you! That wretched Iris didn't deserve the chiefdom! But… it's all right… no matter… soon… another opportunity will present itself… and you… my darling daughter… you will take your rightful place… as ruler of our people… yes… soon… soon…"


	20. Chapter 20: The Slasher

**Author's Note: **Whoo! Three chapters in ONE night! I'm on a roll! :D I had such a blast writing this one, and the finale of part two is going to be one heck of a ride! Action packed, adrenaline pumping, and tense! Hope you all enjoy! :D

**Back to the Story**

The colored spotlights flashed and danced over the stage as they hit first one character, then another. All of them were dressed in a variety of paint jobs and all bore mock weapons of some kind or another. Loud action music blared from the speakers over the stage as the crowd was pumped up, roaring and honking and shouting for their favorite action hero. "Ladies and gentlecars!" the announcer, a black pickup truck spoke loudly into his headset. "It's time, for the moment you've all been waiting for! The moment where we crown this year's Hero of Heroes! Who will it be this year? Your votes have been cast, and our winner is waiting! All he needs is a little encouragement! So let me HEAR YOU MAKE SOME NOISE!" the announcer yelled, and the crowd went absolutely wild, shouting for their favorite hero as loudly as they could.

Suddenly, a blue and silver airplane with a bronze right wing and a two-pronged lance zoomed over the heads of the ecstatic crowd, dropping confetti and coming in for a landing on the massive stage as pyrotechnics exploded behind him in dazzling showers of blue and silver sparks. "IT'S ME!" he shouted triumphantly, grinning to the crowd as they erupted in wild applause.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" the announcer exclaimed with feigned surprise. "WOW! Ladies and gentlecars, it seems Sling Ripper, the Nickel Racer is this year's Hero of Heroes! Tough luck to last year's runner up, the Copper Ninja! Looks like he's been edged out AGAIN! Congratulations to the Nickel Racer! He's captured audience's hearts with his high-speed action and thrilling battles! Let's give it up for Sling Ripper!"

The crowd broke out in applause again as the Nickel Racer accepted his trophy. This year's Heroes' Convention was held at the Imperial Hotel in Los Angeles, and it was drawing quite the crowd. The convention area was packed, and down in the crowd, Dusty turned to Ripslinger to congratulate him on his latest show's hero's win. "Wow! You did, Rip! Who'd a thought? But seems your Nickel Racer show is a hit with not only kids but adults too! Talk about a rebound from last year's fiasco!"

"Heheh! I knew it!" Rip exclaimed happily, grinning. "You ever watch the show, Crophopper?" he asked.

"Well… no, not really. Skipper and I kind of missed it… but thank you for the invites to the convention! This place is great!" Dusty declared, looking around him happily at the golden walls and the glittering chandeliers.

"Yeah sure! I owed ya for getting me off the hook last year on that murder charge! So I figured you and your uh… whatever he is, would appreciate seeing this convention!" Rip stated.

"Oh Skipper? Yeah he's an old fart who doesn't watch shows like this! OW!" Dusty cried as Skipper slapped the back of his head with his wing.

"I HEARD that Dusty!" Skipper scowled, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Heheh, you know I love ya, Skip!" Dusty responded, grinning now.

"Yeah, yeah…"

"Anyway, you should be up there doing your amazing hula skirt routine! That'd bring down the house!" Dusty joked.

"I don't do audiences this big." Skipper replied, giving Dusty a "really?" look.

"So anyway, Matt Monarch, the actor who plays the Nickel Racer, is going to be giving a press conference in the lobby soon… you guys up for hearing it?" Rip asked, looking between the two planes. Ever since Rip had become head producer at Global Studios following the arrest of Dee Tyresworth, he had single-handedly been able to follow up the canceled Riptide with the Nickel Racer, a hugely successful show that he co-starred in with Matt Monarch, the star. His direct competition was a show called the Copper Ninja, but the Nickel Racer was clearly the more popular show as evidenced by its win tonight.

"What kind of press conference is it?" Dusty asked.

"Oh allegedly Matt wants to confess something… so who knows?" Rip shrugged. "Anyway, let's get to the lobby and beat the crowd! Here are your passes to the press conference!" Rip handed the two their passes, and the three planes began making their way towards the hotel lobby.

"I have to say, Rip, I'm really pleased you've been able to turn the studio around and make a great show. It's kind of… nice, you know?" Dusty asked, smiling.

"Heh… yeah well… you inspired me to keep going. I got a second chance so… why not?" Rip replied.

As they made their down to the spacious lobby of the Imperial, there was a small crowd forming in front of a much smaller, makeshift stage that had been set up for the press conference. Microphones jutted out like spikes from the podium, and floodlights bathed the stage in a soft, white glow. Rip sort of pushed his way through the crowd, getting them close to the front. Dusty wondered just what Matt wanted to confess, as stars usually didn't come out like this about their personal lives.

As they waited patiently for the Nickel Racer to appear, the hotel's PA system suddenly crackled to life. "Er… dear guests… due to the police showing up rather suddenly and requesting that the ceremonies be suspended for now, we regret to announce that the press conference featuring the Nickel Racer has been put on hold! We apologize for the inconvenience, and we're sure that we'll resume our regular activities here in no time! Just bear with us for future updates!"

"The police?" Dusty asked, confused. "What are they doing here?"

"I haven't the foggiest!" Rip responded, scowling.

"Mmm… odd." Skipper agreed.

"Hey uh… where are the nearest restrooms?" Dusty asked now, starting to hop back and forth on his pontoons a bit. "I feel like I'm gonna start leaking oil any minute!"

"Oh uh… back towards the convention hall!" Rip nodded back in the direction they'd come from.

"All right! Mind accompanying me to the hall at least?" Dusty asked.

"Yeah… let's go." Skipper nodded, smirking. "Heheh… I may be old… but at least I can hold my oil better than you can, rookie!"

"Yeah, yeah! I just really need to go!" Dusty exclaimed as they began making their way back to the convention hall.

The crowds were still milling about, and the place was still as busy as when the ceremony ended. They had to thread their way through multiple vehicles, many of them dressed up as their favorite heroes.

"They're over there." Rip indicated the restrooms off to the side with his wing.

"Great!" Dusty replied as a hotel bellboy suddenly drove up to them now. He was older looking, and wearing the golden cap of the Imperial Hotel. He sported a monocle over one eye, and gave them a smile as he bowed deeply.

"Excuse me gents, but is there a Skipper Riley amongst your group?" the bellboy asked.

"Yeah… I'm Skipper." Skipper replied, rolling forward now. "What's up?"

"Ah capital! Well it just so turns out that there is an urgent phone call for you! I believe the caller said his name was Sparky! He sounded VERY insistent!" the bellboy informed the Corsair.

"Sparky?" Skipper asked, concern flooding his features. "All right… see you when you get out, Dusty! I gotta take this call!"

"You got it, Skip! See you soon!" Dusty began rolling rapidly towards the restrooms now as Skipper followed the bellhop in a different direction, towards another hallway. Dusty vanished promptly into the restroom while Skipper began weaving his way through the halls. They were leaving the convention and entering the hotel proper, it seemed.

The hallways here were quiet, almost deathly so. The only sound was their tires rolling over the carpeted floors. "Hey buddy… where are these phones?" Skipper asked, and the bellboy nodded up ahead.

"Just around the corner, sir." The bellboy replied. "Ah! Here we are!" He moved aside to reveal a line of phone booths, big enough to fit planes inside them. "Booth number two."

Skipper rolled up to the phone now, and pressed down on the pedal. "Hello, Sparky? You there?" No answer. "Sparky? Sparky? It's Skipper! What's going?" As Skipper was speaking into the receiver in vain, the bellboy suddenly loomed up behind him, discarding his cap as a hiss was heard. A long but sturdy steel rod was quickly extended from his right hubcap, and before Skipper could even turn around, the bellboy struck him swiftly in the back of the head with the rod and pushed him into the booth.

"What the hell?" Skipper asked, gasping as he felt the rod collide with the back of his cockpit, causing his vision to spin. He tried to fight back, extending his wing now to try and push the car off of him, but the bellboy burned rubber as he pushed back against Skipper. The old Corsair swatted his attacker back with his wing, managing to clear his assailant from him, but the assailant suddenly jumped upwards and landed right on Skipper's wing, causing the Corsair's eyes to widen in surprise.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Thwack! Thwack! The rod was brought down again and again on Skipper's head, shattering the glass of his cockpit as he nearly blacked out from the assault. He tried to flip the bellboy off him, but already he was growing weak as he felt dazed from the onslaught. Gasping a second time, the last thing Skipper saw was the rod heading right between his eyes, and as it connected heavily with his head, the Corsair let out one final sigh and slumped into unconsciousness.

Retracting the rod now, the bellboy glared darkly down at the limp Skipper, and glanced out into the hallway to ensure nobody was watching. Satisfied that they were still alone, the "bellboy" extended a hook from his rear bumper and latched it onto Skipper's tail gear. He began towing the helpless plane further down the hall towards a door with a green sign marked "Exit." Slamming into the crash bar and moving out into the alleyway behind the hotel, the attacker quickly continued towing him now to a waiting semi-trailer, its engine idling at the exit of the alley just ahead as steam escaping from the sewers underneath wreathed them in ghostly fog…

**Back in the Convention Hall **

Dusty moved out of the restroom at long last, having had to wait a bit in line before he could relieve himself. "Hoo!" he exhaled, glad that was over. Off to the side, he could see Detective Crawford of the LAPD, and decided to wander over to him first before rejoining Rip. "Hey! Detective Crawford! What's going on?" Dusty called, rolling up to the Ford Crown Vic now.

"Oh… hey Crophopper. Seems there's been a damn murder in the hotel… can you believe that?" Crawford muttered under his breath so passers by wouldn't hear.

"A murder?" Dusty gasped. "You're kidding!"

"Keep your voice down!" Crawford hissed.

"Who was killed?" Dusty whispered now.

"Juan Cabriole… the Copper Ninja." Crawford explained in soft tones. "He was killed shortly after the awards ceremony."

"You're kidding! ANOTHER star? What happened?" Dusty asked, trying to keep his voice low.

"Can't tell you… but Matt Monarch's been arrested as the killer… that's all I can give you for now until we complete our investigation."

"Seriously? Oh man! This is just like… last year!" Dusty exclaimed.

"You're telling me…" Crawford murmured. "Anyway… I gotta go… see you around." The Ford drove off now, leaving him behind.

Dusty decided to rejoin Rip, who was still waiting for him in the main convention hall. "Rip! Rip! You're never gonna believe this… but I've got bad news!"

"What? What's going on?" Rip asked, starting to grow worried.

"Juan Cabriole, the Copper Ninja… he's been murdered! And… and Matt Monarch is the suspect!"

"WHAT?" Rip exclaimed. "Crophopper please tell me this is a bad joke!"

"I… I wish it was…" Dusty replied sadly, closing his eyes.

"I don't believe this! Matt? He's a… flake! There's no way he'd kill anyone! I mean he's a space cadet, Crophopper! And I mean that sarcastically!" Rip explained.

"Huh… well… hey what's that?" Dusty asked, noticing what looked like a radio on Rip's wing.

"Oh! Some bellboy swung by… said this was for you." Rip stated, holding it out for him now. Almost as soon as Dusty accepted it, it began to beep.

"Uh… hello?" Dusty answered.

"Hello Mr. Crophopper." Came the suave voice on the other end.

"Who is this?" Dusty asked, confused.

"You need not concern yourself with my name. You have more important problems facing you right now." Said the voice.

"Dusty?" Skipper's voice suddenly broke through, faint and weak. "Dusty it's me! I've been attacked and kidnapped… I… AGGGGGH!" Skipper suddenly screamed in pain, a gut-wrenching sound before it was cut off.

The hotel suddenly seemed to crash down around Dusty as he gazed with horror straight ahead, his bottom lip trembling, his wings rattling, and his vision starting to go blurry. "Skipper?" Dusty asked weakly now. He'd been taken… he'd been taken! "No… no!" the firefighter whispered, feeling like he was going to vomit as the room swayed around him.

"I will kill him unless you do exactly as I say." Came the suave voice again.

"What?" Dusty asked, barely comprehending.

"Crophopper?" Rip asked, noticing the firefighter seemed… off balance to say the least.

"H-how much do you want?" Dusty asked, to which the voice chuckled.

"Hm-hm-hm-hm. I'm not after money, Mr. Crophopper. It's an acquittal I want."

"What? An-an acquittal?"

"Yes… for Mr. Matt Monarch." The voice calmly replied, enunciating the words. "Mr. Monarch has been set up, Mr. Crophopper. Someone's framing him for this murder. I want you to defend him."

"W-why me?" Dusty asked.

"I think you know the answer to that already, Mr. Crophopper. You're VERY good… and I've been watching you. You're just the plane for this job! Come on! It'll be easy! I'll even help you out along the way." The voice reassured him. "Now listen up… Mr. Monarch's trial is in two days… you must get him acquitted on the first day… or Mr. Riley dies… do you understand?"

"I… I…" Dusty was having trouble speaking, his throat was constricted, and he could barely talk.

"I'm going to hang up soon. If you don't understand, your friend is dead."

"I-I understand!" Dusty quickly cut in. "You don't hurt him though!"

"No… he'll be fine… and you'll see him again if you get this acquittal." The voice stated. "Also no cops… that won't be very healthy for your friend."

"But… wait! Who are you? What is your name?" It was all Dusty could think of under the circumstances.

"All right… I'll tell you that much... but you must never breathe it to anyone else… least of all the authorities… my name is… The Slasher." The radio suddenly went dead, the light fading from it as The Slasher hung up.

Dusty was hyperventilating, breathing very heavily in and out.

"Jeez, Crophopper! What's with you? What was that?" Rip asked, having not been able to hear the conversation due to the noise in the room.

"Skipper… Skipper… Skipper…!" Dusty stammered over and over again.

"Skipper what? Crophopper snap out of it! You're acting weird!" Rip yelled, trying to bring Dusty back to his senses.

"He's been kidnapped!" Dusty finally got out, in a voice that was a choked whisper. "He's been kidnapped! Rip… he's been kidnapped!"

"WHAT?" Rip asked now, shocked. "You should call the police!"

"No… no cops… he said no cops…" Dusty stammered, his voice weak and falling with each word.

"But you have to alert the authorities!" Rip insisted. "You can't just DO nothing!"

"I… I can't!" Dusty insisted.

"What about Crawford? He's here! I saw you talking to him! You can trust him, right?" Rip suggested.

"Yes… yes… yes!" Dusty whispered. "Yes you're right!"

"OK! OK! OK! Calm down!" Rip said, moving beside Dusty now to look right at him. "Calm down… you look like your engine's gonna explode! Just… calm down, OK? Do you know if Skipper is safe?" Rip asked.

"Yes… yes… I do. I heard him. I heard his voice. He's safe… for now."

"OK… he's safe. That's important. That means you can calm down. Now go talk to Crawford… tell him what happened… I'll go with you, OK?" Rip suggested.

"Yes-yes-yes!" Dusty nodded, still not calming down.

They began moving to where Crawford had been. The detective was supervising a bunch of cops further down the hall now, and Dusty practically collided with the police car, but managed to stop himself at the last minute.

"Whoa! Where you going?" Crawford asked. "Jeez you look like death!" the police car stated.

"I need to speak to you… in private… NOW!" Dusty insisted.

"What's gotten into you?" Crawford asked, but Rip nodded.

"Yeah we kinda need to have a pow-wow detective. Sorry." Rip stated.

"OK…" Crawford excused him and drove off to the side with the two now.

"Skipper Riley's been kidnapped!" Dusty said in a whisper.

"What?" Crawford asked. "Your Corsair friend?"

"Yes him! He was taken! I just got a call on this radio explaining what I need to do. He wants me to get Matt acquitted! He says I only have a day to do this! If I don't… he'll kill him! He'll kill him! I need your help! He said no cops but… I don't know what else to do!" Dusty explained in a panic.

"Dammit! Get Matt acquitted? What an odd request. Uh… look I'm gonna be needed at the hotel all night. But there is someone who can help you. That FBI agent you worked with before. They handle kidnappings after all!" Crawford reminded Dusty.

"Of course!" Dusty's eyes lit up now. "Agent Kane! Yes of course! Do you have his number?" Dusty asked hopefully.

"Uh yeah… here. And while the hotel is technically locked down… I can give you permission to leave if you want. You look like a wreck…" Crawford said sympathetically as he quickly wrote down Spray's number.

"I… I think we should stay here… we have rooms after all." Dusty stated now.

"All right… you want a uni outside your door?" Crawford asked.

"A what?" Dusty asked.

"A uni… a cop. You know… just in case?"

"I-I don't think we'll need it but yeah… better safe than sorry!" Dusty agreed now.

"Hey… before you go… you're gonna have a HELL of a time acquitting Monarch, Crophopper. The evidence against him his overwhelming." Crawford stated ruefully.

"He's been framed… it's a setup." Dusty said distantly. "Somehow… it's a setup. I have to prove it."

"Uhhh… yeah…" Crawford said. "Anyway give me your room number, and I'll send a cop up there for the night."

Dusty hurriedly dialed Spray's number after he delivered the room number to Crawford. Spray answered on the third ring. From the sounds of it, he was out at a restaurant or bar or something. "Hey! Dusty! I never expected to hear from you again!" came Spray's voice.

"Spray! I need your help! I need your help NOW!" Dusty said. "I'm at the Imperial Hotel! Can you meet me here tonight?"

"Uhh… sure, yeah." Spray said after a moment's hesitation. "Give me… about 15 minutes. I'll be right over."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Dusty said in rapid fire. "I'll explain when you get here!"

**Somewhere on California State Route 1**

North of Los Angeles on California State Route 1, a lone semi-trailer drove through the night, bouncing a bit as it plowed over a pothole. The burgundy cab appeared very focused as he cruised down the historic California highway, not taking his eyes off the road as he drove.

In the trailer, Skipper was held fast by two chains secured to his wings and attached to the front of the trailer. He narrowed his eyes as Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock N' Roll" blared out of a stereo in the back. Bobbing his tires back and forth and hopping a bit to the beat, his attacker danced and wove as he grinned over at the plane. He appeared to be an SUV of some kind, but there was no light in here, so it was hard to tell.

Hopping up to Skipper now, the Corsair could see his attacker's teeth flashing in the darkness. "You like that old time rock n' roll Skipper?" he asked.

"Bite me." Skipper replied simply.

"Awww… such a sad, sad face." The abductor's face fell here, acting all weepy.

"What are you going to do with me?" Skipper asked.

"Oh nothing… nothing. So long as your friend Mr. Crophopper cooperates." The SUV shrugged here.

"You're using me as incentive?" Skipper snapped. "Ha! Dusty won't do what you say!" Skipper bluffed.

"Oh he's already agreed to!" the SUV hopped backwards giddily like a frog as the solo started; he was clearly very agile. "See… I need him to do something very important…"

"He'll find you." Skipper stated defiantly.

"Haha! I doubt it! I'm the best at what I do, Mr. Riley. That's why I charge a million for what I do!" The Slasher proclaimed proudly. "I've NEVER been caught! I've never been positively identified! I change my face and my name as easily as the wind blows! It's like child's play to me, you see!" he grinned here again. While his voice had sounded British in the hotel, he clearly sounded American now.

"And what do you do?" Skipper asked now.

"Wouldn't you like to know? All will be revealed in time… if you're lucky and Mr. Crophopper doesn't muck this up! Call me a… professional problem solver, for now." The SUV stated.

"Well… solve my problem then!" Skipper shot back.

"Ahahahahah!" his abductor laughed here. "No, no! I've already accepted a contract! And you couldn't afford me… of that I'm positive. Well! So far, so good!" He pumped his wheel in and out to the music, bobbing his body up and down. "We're on our way to your new home for the next two days, and if Mr. Crophopper does his part, you'll be on your way, I'll be vanishing into the night, and everyone goes home happy! So sit back… relax… it's going to be a hell of a ride!" His teeth flashed in the darkness again, and he began chuckling as the stereo continued to play and the semi-trailer drove on into the night…


	21. Chapter 21: Return From the Unknown

Dusty stood in his room, his eyes on the floor as Spray paced a bit in front of him, entering data into a flypad. "So… this radio conversation you had with the kidnapper… any indications as to where they were… any background noise you picked up?" Spray asked here, trying to milk Dusty for every detail.

"No… nothing. Just… Skipper screamed once before the kidnapper came back on the line." Dusty explained dejectedly.

Spray softened here. "I'm sorry… any indication as to why he wants to get Matt Monarch acquitted?"

"No… he just said he'd been set up… that Matt was innocent. I don't know why he wants me to get him an acquittal but… I have to do that!" Dusty responded now, looking up.

"Yeah… well I don't know anything about this case yet. Did the kidnapper give you a name?" Spray asked now. "Or some indication as to who he is?"

"Uh…" Dusty pasued here, causing Spray's ailerons to twitch.

"Yes?" the FBI agent searched Dusty with his eyes for answers.

"No." Dusty answered quickly now, feeling like he desperately needed to tell Spray what he'd heard but… fearing for Skipper's life at the same time. This kidnapper knew things about them… things he shouldn't know if he were just a run of the mill kidnapper.

Spray narrowed his eyes, and tried to get Dusty to look at him. "Dusty… are you sure? I know you're under duress but… is the kidnapper threatening you in some other way? I need to know every detail. The smallest thing could be important in saving Skipper's life."

"Mm… I know but… he didn't… I'm sorry…" Dusty closed his eyes now.

"Dusty… you're being coerced… I can tell. But… you can tell me, OK? I'm used to dealing with kidnappings. I need details." Spray pressed, but not too hard.

"I can't…" Dusty whispered here. "I'm sorry…"

Sighing, Spray moved over to Dusty's side now, and put his wing on the firefighter's back. "Hey… I'm gonna get Skipper back… OK? I promise… I'm gonna bring my whole team in on this. I'm gonna get him back… OK?" Spray reassured Dusty.

"I know… I just… I'm SO worried! I… if ANYTHING happens to him…" Dusty began now.

"Hey… I know this is rough… I can only imagine what it's like but… I need you to work with me on this." Spray said.

"I am… that's why I told you all I know… I'm sorry." Dusty stated.

Spray's face fell here. "Yeah… I know. Try to get some sleep, OK? I'll introduce you to my team tomorrow, and we'll get cracking on this, all right? I'm gonna run a sweep of the hotel to see if I can pick up any clues… and have my team run a sweep of the surrounding area. We'll be checking for leads, tips, ANYTHING to try and find him, OK, Dusty?"

"Yeah… yeah… thank you… just be careful… the kidnapper said if there's any indication of cops… he'll kill him… so please… don't… don't let that happen." Dusty cautioned.

"Hey…" Spray smiled here, patting Dusty's backside. "I've been doing this for a long time… I'm very good at tracking these scumbags down, OK? We'll be subtle. Now try to sleep… OK? I'll be right here in the morning, let you know what I found, and we'll get to work, got it?"

"Yeah… yeah… thanks…"

"It's my job." Spray replied, still smiling. "Anyway… see you in the morning."

Dusty nodded weakly, and watched as Spray exited the room. Dammit! If only he could mention the kidnapper's name! But… he couldn't risk it… he was already taking a great risk by bringing the FBI in on this… but hopefully Spray was as good as he said and he'd get to the bottom of this. Turning to face the window now, Dusty gazed out at the lights of LA before he finally closed his eyes and tried to sleep…

The next morning, Dusty met Spray down in the hotel lobby. The FBI plane was accompanied by a forklift, a Ford Escape, a helicopter, and a Lamborghini, all painted in black. "Morning, Dusty!" Spray greeted him. "I'd like you to meet the other members of my team. Let me introduce you to Linda Windsheer, Speedbump Freman, Brandon Escapa, and Serena Drift." Spray pointed out the helicopter, the forklift, the Escape, and the Lamborghini in that order.

"Isn't this a little much?" Dusty asked Spray, noting the big and impressive team.

"Don't worry… we're subtler than we look." Brandon reassured him now.

"What did you find out?" Dusty asked.

"Quite a lot, in fact." Serena spoke up now. "We determined that your friend was attacked in the phone booth. Fragments of his cockpit were found, so he was probably beaten before being seized."

"Beaten?" Dusty asked, gulping now.

"Afraid so." Spray admitted sadly.

"But we also think he was taken out an emergency exit which was close by." Linda explained. "See we found evidence of a semi-trailer sitting in the alley out back, and we're pretty sure that's how the kidnapper moved your friend."

"Jeez! This sounds rather well organized! I mean last night he stated Sparky was on the phone! How could he know that?" Dusty asked now.

"He was obviously very well briefed." Spray commented. "Did his research on you beforehand."

"But how? I mean… how did he know he'd need me last NIGHT?" Dusty asked.

"We aren't sure!" Speedbump broke in now. "But one thing's for sure! This guy's got a brain like a computer… similar to what I've got!" he snorted now, smirking.

"But don't worry! We're just as good!" Spray reassured him with a smile. "So what are you going to do today? Gonna interview Matt Monarch?"

"Yeah… that's step number one." Dusty nodded. "Then I'm gonna investigate… try to clear his name."

"Yeah… just… don't give up on volo pro veritas. I checked with the cops last night… seems like Monarch is pretty guilty…" Spray informed Dusty here.

"Or he's being set up in an elaborate fashion." Dusty replied. "Either way I have no choice."

"Oh! Before you go!" Spray nodded at Speedbump now. "Can we see that radio?"

"Huh? Oh… yeah, sure!" Dusty held it out for the agents now, and Speedbump scurried over to it, and popped its back open before he began to install a small chip into its circuitry, hardwiring the piece in rapidly before handing it back to Dusty.

"There you go! All set!" Speedbump grinned.

"What's that?" Dusty asked.

"Well it's a bug and a tracker." Spray explained. "If you get a call on it, we can attempt to track the signal and get a fix on the kidnapper's location. Also, it'll allow us to listen in, to see if we can pick up on any background noise, which we can then use to narrow down possible locations." The plane smiled at Dusty now. "Don't worry… we'll get him back! Good luck! And don't hesitate to call if you need ANYTHING Dusty! I'll be there in a flash!"

"Thanks… I… I kind of feel better about this now." Dusty offered a weak smile in return.

"No problem. We're gonna set up what we call a base camp, and go from there. Talk to you later, Dusty!" Spray stated, giving the firefighter a nod.

Nodding in return, Dusty moved past the team towards the hotel exit, and prepared to go meet his new client…

**Detention Center**

Matt Monarch greeted Dusty with a big, dopey smile as the firefighter met him behind the plate glass window. He was a Mustang, like Rip, but only had one propeller and was still wearing his Nickel Racer paint scheme. "Oh wow!" Matt exclaimed. "Are you like… a life insurance salesplane? You seem really colorful! Oh wait… are you on a TV show too? No! I know! You sell fire extinguishers! Of course!" Matt declared now, having felt as if he'd finally figured it out.

"Uh… no… I'm Dusty… Dusty Crophopper. I'm going to be your lawyer!" Dusty stated. Rip wasn't kidding when he claimed Matt was a flake!

"Oh hold on! I'm getting a call!" Matt said, turning away as he popped up an antenna, and incredibly, took the call. "Yeah? Oh hey! Yeah I know! Really? Oh! OK! Well that's really fortunate! OK I gotta go! See ya!" Matt hung up, and turned to face Dusty now. "Hey guess what! That was my manager! It turns out I need a lawyer! So you're in luck!" Matt grinned.

"Uhhh… yeah! Great!" Dusty grinned back, wondering if this guy could really kill anyone. "So uh… mind if I ask a few personal questions?"

"Oh… you're interviewing me for a book? Hold on! Let me call my publisher! They can set you up!" The antenna popped up again, but Dusty quickly intervened.

"Uhhh no! Hold on!" he interrupted. "I'm NOT writing a book! I need to ask you about the murder last night."

"Oh… you're a journalist! OK! Hold on! Let me call my favorite newspaper! They'll…"

"Matt!" Dusty sighed, rolling his eyes. "I need to know about the murder! I'm not a journalist! But first… you were going to give a press conference yesterday… what was that about? What were you going to confess?"

"A press conference? No dude, you got that all wrong! Definitely not! Me? Confess? What would I need to confess?" Matt asked, confused.

"Huh… are you SURE about that?" Dusty asked.

"Positive, dude! No press conference for me!" Matt replied.

"Huh… that's… strange." Dusty stated.

"Anyway… I already got a lawyer. So I don't need you! No worries, bro! Thanks for dropping by though!" Matt smiled.

Sighing, Dusty was growing exasperated. "Look, Mr. Monarch! The Slasher told me to do this, and I NEED to do this, OK? COME ON! PLEASE!" Dusty insisted, before realizing what he'd just said, then slammed his lips shut, and gave an innocent look towards Matt here.

But Matt just gazed calmly at Dusty. "Oh… well no worries, dude! If you want the job that badly… you're in!" Matt beamed now.

Dusty stared at him. "Really? I am?"

"Of course! I didn't realize it was like that! So anyway… uh let's see… the murder… right… well they apparently have a lot of evidence against me but dude… let me tell you… WHY would I kill Juan? I WON the contest, dude! I had NO REASON to kill that guy! I mean I took that ceremony by STORM dude! They said I won by a LANDSLIDE! No reason to kill Juan! Nah someone's setting me up!"

"Yes… yes!" Dusty agreed, brightening up here. "OK this is good… you didn't kill Juan, right?"

"Absolutely not dude! I didn't kill anyone last night!" Matt insisted, smiling in a friendly way now.

"So… where were you last night? If you could help me establish a timeline I might be able to get an alibi going for you." Dusty explained.

"Certainly! So let's see… I was wiped out from the ceremony, dude. I went back to my room to crash, and I fell asleep… and uh… when I woke up, the police were breaking down my door saying I'd killed Juan! I was like WHAT? No way!"

"Hmmm… asleep… just like Rip in his case…" Dusty murmured. "Did you do anything before falling asleep?"

"Uh… I think I ate dinner… yeah but that's it. Then I just fell asleep and that was that, dude! I NEVER left my room!" Matt stated.

"What evidence do the police have?" Dusty asked.

"Apparently… the steak knife I used dude… which DUH... of COURSE it has my marks on it! They said it had been used to stab Juan. And uh… a bunch of other stuff I can't remember right now." Matt confessed.

"A bunch of other stuff? That doesn't sound good… but if you were really asleep… then someone set you up." Dusty stated.

"Totally dude! That's what I've been saying! So like… what do you think? What are my chances?" Matt asked.

"Well… I dunno. I need to see the case the prosecution has against you. But… I'm gonna do EVERYTHING I can to get you acquitted! Believe me!" Dusty reassured the actor.

"Cool! Well uh… that all?" Matt asked.

"Yeah… that's all I can think of for now. Thank you, Mr. Monarch! You've really helped set me at ease about this case! If you're innocent… I'll find out who's REALLY behind this!" Dusty stated confidently now as he grinned. "The truth always has a way of coming through… so don't worry! I'll find out who killed Juan and why! You just sit tight… I'm gonna investigate!"

"Awesome, bro! You must be good! Well see ya!" Matt waved his wing, grinning back at Dusty.

Dusty let the smile linger on his face. Yes! He could ACTUALLY do this! Matt was innocent! He could rescue Skipper AND get Matt off the hook! Fantastic! Things were FINALLY looking up! But he knew he had to work fast… he only had a day to do this after all… and time was of the essence. It was time to get cracking!

**The Imperial Hotel**

Back at the Imperial Hotel, Dusty was trying to push his way into the crime scene. The police had all but finished up, but there were still cops posted around to keep interlopers out. However, Dusty informed them he was Matt's lawyer, and he was permitted to look around. But before that, a blue Infiniti drove up to him in the hallway. Juan had been killed in his hotel room, and Dusty was just about to head in when the Infiniti stopped him.

"Mr. Crophopper? I overheard you say you were Matt's lawyer." She stated impasssilvey. "Are you?"

"Yeah! That's me! And you are?" Dusty asked.

"I'm Adrian Taxis, Matt's manager. Nice to meet you." She didn't smile, and maintained a somewhat deadpan look. "I'm glad to know Matt's finally got a lawyer lined up. I had to call him to remind him that he needed one for tomorrow!" she rolled her eyes here.

"Yeah… I found out!" Dusty chuckled. "Anyway, it's nice to meet you Ms… or Mrs. Taxis?"

"Ms." Adrian replied simply.

"Do you know anything about the murder?" Dusty asked.

"I uh… um… well…" Adrian curiously stumbled over her words here, as if searching for an answer. "I… no, not really." She stated, shaking her head.

"Nothing at all?" Dusty asked, growing a bit suspicious.

"I'm afraid not, Mr. Crophopper. Anyway, I'm glad Matt finally has someone representing him. I'll speak to you later."

"Will do." Dusty smiled, though he had an odd feeling Taxis knew more than she was letting on. Heading on into the room now, Dusty began looking around. First off, the place looked like a tornado had passed through. There were clear signs of a struggle in here, and Juan had definitely fought back against his killer. The dresser drawers had been knocked open, chairs were overturned, and impact marks were visible in the walls; it looked like a disaster scene.

Turning to one of the cops, Dusty cleared his throat. "Ahem… say who discovered the body?" he asked.

"Oh… the manager, Adrian Taxis… the one you just spoke with." The officer informed him.

"Really? Huh… discovered the body… and what was the cause of death?" Dusty asked here.

"We're still looking into that. He was stabbed with a steak knife in his undercarriage but… we're not sure yet." The cop confessed. "The knife was thrust into his engine block from underneath after he'd been upturned against a wall."

Dusty turned back to the room, knowing there wouldn't be much left to see here… but… that was strange. There was a filled wine glass sitting on the table… completely undisturbed. How was that possible? This room was a mess… everything not bolted down was thrown about… yet this wine glass was perfectly fine? Bizarre…

Turning to leave now, he figured he'd seen everything there was to see… and came face to face with Ferida von Karswerth, who was scowling at him. "Whoa!" Dusty jumped back.

"What are YOU doing here, Crophopper?" von Karswerth demanded. "Don't tell me you're Mr. Monarch's lawyer!"

"I am in fact!" Dusty confirmed. "And let me guess… you're the prosecutor… aren't you?"

"Ha! How rich is this? Oh this is delightful! Finally! I get another chance to destroy you in court! You will be burned this time, Crophopper! I will NOT lose this one! Prepare yourself! My moment of vengeance is at hand!" she proclaimed.

"Yeah… great… anyway… mind letting me by?" he asked, raising his brows and smiling at her as he indicated he wanted to exit the room.

"Pfft…" she reversed and allowed him egress from the room. "I have all the evidence I need to take you down! Your client will be found guilty, and I will have my revenge!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Dusty said, unimpressed. "Anyway… see you tomorrow, Ferika!" he grinned, using her first name, which caused the Maybach to glare daggers at him.

Chuckling, Dusty made his way down the hallway now, and could see Ripslinger up ahead. "Hey! Rip! There you are!"

"How you doin', Crophopper?" Rip asked, nodding at him. "You uh… you OK?"

"Better now that I think I got a case! Well… OK… I haven't actually found anything interesting yet but… still… hey… you work with Adrian Taxis and Matt, right? What can you tell me about Ms. Taxis?" Dusty asked now.

"Oh… heheh! Well… funny you should ask… see… there's been rumors… pretty much confirmed in the press but you know how the paparazzi likes to blow everything up… they SAY… that Ms. Taxis and Juan were… seeing each other." Rip said, grinning.

"Really? The victim and Ms. Taxis were… intimate?"

"On the sly…" Rip stated. "Imagine the scandal! Matt Monarch's manager seeing his biggest rival! Hoo yeah! That's a story the press just gobbled up!" Rip chuckled.

"And what do you think?"

"Hell if I know, Crophopper! But you know how she found the body last night? What do you THINK she was going to Juan's room for eh? Eh? Heheheh." Rip winked at Dusty here, nudging him with a wing.

"Um… well my initial thoughts were she was going to his room to kill him but… now that you bring this up… still… it doesn't rule her out as a suspect." Dusty admitted.

"Yeah well… I think it's true. Why ELSE would she be going to Juan's room last night? Anyway… any news?" Rip asked.

"Not yet… I think I'm gonna head to the police station to check out the body and the murder evidence. I need to see that knife. You gonna hang around here?" Dusty asked.

"I still can't leave, unfortunately. So yeah… I'll be here." Rip stated.

"Great… I'll catch up with you later then… and let you know how it's going!" Dusty said, and moved off now to head down to the police station to see if he could find out more about this murder.

**The Precinct**

The precinct was bustling, as cops were moving all about solving cases, answering phones, and escorting suspects into lockup. Heading for Crawford's desk, Dusty found the detective standing there typing up a report. "Hey! Detective Crawford! Got a minute?" Dusty asked.

"Oh… Crophopper… any… news?" he asked subtly.

"No… unfortunately not. But I wanted to know about the knife found in Juan's engine block. Was it the murder weapon?" Dusty asked.

"Not sure yet in all honesty. But… it's got Matt's markings all over it." Crawford stated.

"Well yeah… he DID eat dinner with it…" Dusty pointed out.

"And then stabbed the victim, apparently." Crawford shrugged. "It's not looking good, Crophopper."

"What other evidence did you find, detective? Matt mentioned there was more…"

Crawford tsked, and looked as if he was considering whether or not he should tell Dusty anything. "Well Crophopper… Juan used to have a manager… Celeste Carfax… she was…"

"What do you think you're doing?" The voice belonged to von Karswerth, who drove up to the two now. She had enunciated every word, dragging it out as if she were scolding a small child.

"Uh… Prosecutor von Karswerth… fancy that." Crawford chuckled innocently here.

"Yeah laugh it up detective! You giving vital information to someone who is NOT paid by the State of California?" the Maybach asked accusingly. "You work for ME, got it?"

"Are you following me, Ms. Von Karswerth?" Dusty asked, narrowing his eyes.

"And if I am?" von Karswerth asked defiantly. "You aren't getting squat in this case, Crophopper! I'm going to ensure that!"

"You always were a big stick in the mud, Ferika." Dusty froze as he heard the voice, as he'd know it anywhere. Turning to face the new speaker now, Dusty calmly laid his eyes upon Simon Blackthorn, the black Maserati looking at him with a slight smirk on his features.

"What the hell are YOU doing here, Simon?" von Karswerth snapped. "You coward! Only cowards run away! You call yourself a prosecutor? Hmph! Father would've been disappointed in you… HIGHLY disappointed. And you know what? So am I!"

"I'll bear that in mind, Ferika." Blackthorn brushed her off, and turned his gaze to Dusty now. "Good to see you again, Crophopper."

But Dusty met him with an icy glare. He didn't answer at first, but then, he finally decided to speak up. "It would've been better if you had NEVER come back…" Dusty said darkly.

"Don't worry, Crophopper. I won't be facing you in court anymore." Blackthorn smirked.

"So yeah… what ARE you doing here?" Dusty asked now, for once having something amazingly in common with von Karswerth.

"I came here to tell you… you won't win this case on your own. There's something you don't understand about it yet." Blackthorn said seriously.

"Oh pfft! And what? You're here to 'enlighten' me? YOU? The one who feigns suicide and DOESN'T come to his friends?" Dusty snapped.

"I'm here to show you what you showed me last year, Crophopper." Blackthorn responded simply.

"Oh like what? Volo pro veritas? You think that's going to open my eyes? Turn me around? Make me your friend again? Yeah sorry but… that ship's sailed!" Dusty stated with ire.

"Crophopper just… listen to me, OK?" Blackthorn cut in. "Listen… it's about Celeste Carfax… Juan's manager. Crawford was about to tell you but Ferika cut you off."

"With good reason! He's NOT entitled to this information!" von Karswerth snapped.

"Good thing I don't work for the State anymore… huh?" Blackthorn asked, shooting her a look. "I've come to give you two pieces of information. The first… is about Celeste Carfax. She was engaged to Juan… but the two had canceled their marriage and Celeste killed herself. Juan was the one to find the body… and the police suspected he had hidden both her suicide note and her last will and testament. The second piece of information I have for you is about Adrian Taxis… your client's manager. You might've noticed she's very guarded and reserved… well that's a shell she wears because she hides an extremely dependent personality. She can't function without someone else's support. She latches on to others… and she was VERY close with Celeste Carfax… Juan's former manager. Celeste mentored her after all. When Celeste killed herself, Ms. Taxis attempted to do the same thing… but failed. Do you understand?"

"I… don't understand! Any of this!" Dusty admitted, and von Karswerth sighed.

"Way to blow it, Simon! Thanks! You know Crophopper's right! You NEVER should've come back! Ugh! I'm going back to the hotel! This is a freaking circus here!" the Maybach angrily gunned her V-12 and turned rapidly around, heading for the exit.

Blackthorn watched her go, but merely shook his head. "Anyway… THINK… Crophopper… you're good at this. WHY would Ms. Taxis be seeing Juan Cabriole given what I've JUST told you? Love? Think again… WHY Crophopper… think…"

"Uh…" Dusty looked off to the side now. "Uh… hm… OK so… she was close with Celeste… and Juan… found the body…"

"Go on…" Blackthorn said, watching Dusty intently.

"Uh… she wanted the will! Or the suicide note! Or both! If Juan took those… she might want them! Yes!" Dusty stated now, putting it all together.

"Uh huh…" Blackthorn smiled slightly here. "You're starting to get it…"

"But… that makes her a suspect in the murder!" Dusty gasped. "She'd have reason for wanting Juan dead!"

"Perhaps… but I feel there's more to this puzzle. However… that's all the information I have for you right now. Unfortunately, my suspicions have not panned out so far. The police failed to find a key piece of evidence I was expecting at the scene so… for now… your theory might be correct." Blackthorn admitted.

"So… yes it's making sense now!" Dusty exclaimed.

"Furthermore, ink on Celeste's hubcap indicated she HAD written something prior to her death… it was suspected it was a suicide note… and quite possibly her last will as well." Blackthorn added.

"Yes… yes! I see! But… why are you helping me?" Dusty asked.

"The reason for that will become clear as this case progresses, Crophopper." Blackthorn answered cryptically, then smiled slightly. "Volo pro veritas."

This just caused Dusty to back away, as if in revulsion. "Hmph… that doesn't change anything between us. I have to go."

"Of course. See you soon." Blackthorn replied.

**The Imperial Hotel**

Back at the Imperial, Dusty found Adrian with von Karswerth. "So… that's what you say tomorrow, got it? You don't let on that…" but the Maybach stopped as Dusty approached. She snorted derisively. "So now who's following whom?"

"Pfft… keep dreaming, lady! No… I'd like a word or three with Ms. Taxis… I can do that, after all. And what? You coaching ANOTHER star witness?" Dusty asked with scorn.

"It's none of your business WHAT I'm doing!" von Karswerth snapped. "But fine… have your three words. You'll lose tomorrow anyway!" She drove off, brushing his wing as she did so and causing him to wobble slightly.

"Oh no I won't!" he muttered. Turning to face Adrian, he could see the Infiniti was twirling a card around in her hubcap. "Ms. Taxis… you were seeing Juan Cabriole… but not because you loved him. I think you were trying to get your wheels on Celeste Carfax's last will and testament… am I wrong?" Dusty asked, causing Adrian to blink in surprise. His eyes wandered down to the card, wondering what it was. It had a pink background with what looked like a knife of some kind on the front, but it was hard to tell as she kept twirling it.

"You… you found out?" she gasped. "How?"

"That's not important… am I wrong? Judging by your reaction… I'd say no… I'm not." Dusty stated.

"You're… not wrong. Yes… that's why I was seeing him. I wanted that will!" Adrian stated adamantly.

"I see… you also tried to kill yourself…"

"Don't tell anyone about that!" Adrian quickly cut in. "I'd rather die than let that become public knowledge, do you understand?"

"Uhh… wait! Yes that won't be necessary!" Dusty added just as quickly. "I won't tell anyone…" At least… not unless I have to in court tomorrow, he didn't add.

"Fine… you're very perceptive." Adrian replied coldly. "You found out my big secret… just DON'T tell anyone else that!"

"Right…" And you're now primary suspect number one in my book! You had motive for wanting Juan dead… and I'm going to prove tomorrow that you killed him!

"So… are we done here?" Adrian asked dismissively.

"Yes… for now. See you in court!" Dusty smirked, turning to head off now.

**Unknown Location**

Skipper had been sitting in this wine cellar most of the day now. Whoever had taken him hadn't shown his face once yet. While there were plenty of wine bottles down here, Skipper hadn't been able to make use of any of them, as his abductor hadn't shown up.

Curiously, he wasn't chained down, or even restrained in any fashion. The door to the cellar was locked of course, and he wasn't going to risk trying to break it down. He had no idea how many were watching him, and breaking down the door would surely alert anyone in this place.

Looking around, the old Corsair tried to find something… anything he could use to aid in his escape. The cellar was dark, with no light coming in from outside. No windows down here either. Groping around with his wheels, Skipper felt something slide underneath his right one.

"Huh… what have we here?" he asked. Looking down, he studied it now. It was a card of some kind… plastic like a credit card… but not a credit card. Taking the card over to the door, he held it under the thin shaft of light that crept in from behind the door. It had a pink background, and had a bloody knife on the front of it.

Well whatever it was, it was better than nothing. "Sorry pal… but I'm checking out of this hotel…" The Corsair inserted the card into the space between the doorjamb and the catch. "Come on… come on…!" Skipper murmured, jiggling it around and trying to get the lock to snap back. He'd learned this trick in the Navy, and concentrated as he worked the card back and forth, bending it left and right and attempting to get the bolt to slide back into the door. Of course… he'd need to be quick, as it would snap back into place if he didn't push the door open rapidly.

To prepare, he leaned against the door while he wiggled the card left and then right and finally, the bolt snapped backwards with a satisfying click. Unfortunately, Skipper had pushed the door too hard, and it flew backwards, impacting with a cacophonous smack into the stone wall behind it.

Cringing, Skipper closed his eyes. "Damn…" he breathed. Waiting a moment, he could see a ramp that led upwards in front of him. There was no sign of anyone coming so… taking a deep breath, he began to edge out into the hallway now…


	22. Chapter 22: Bitter Defeat

**Author's Note**: Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I'm glad you're liking this arc so far! I'm having a blast writing it! As far as Durika is concerned... there's kind of a scene like that in the chapter after this one. XD

**Back to the Story**

Skipper inched forward, rolling as slowly as he could up the ramp to see just where he was being held. He blinked as sunlight greeted him from spacious windows ahead of him. Looking around, he could see he was in some sort of contemporary mansion, with stylistically curved furniture all over the place. The only sound to greet him was the ticking of a grandfather clock somewhere in the house. It was loud and ominous… and did nothing to settle his nerves.

Looking from left to right, Skipper thought he was breathing too hard, but that's probably just because he was nervous. He didn't see anyone so…

Off to his left was what looked to be the front door of the house. To his right was a white coffered ceiling fireplace, and a large screen TV. Directly ahead of him were windows. Not wanting to waste any time, Skipper began rolling for the door, but paused as the polished floorboards creaked under him. Wincing, he paused, looking from left to right again but still seeing no one.

So far so good but… he didn't want to push his luck! Continuing on towards the door, Skipper tried to calm his nerves as he slowly reached out for the handle… but a sudden noise behind him caused him to nearly jump out of his skin as he turned around, and came face to face with his abductor. "Leaving so soon?" The Slasher asked, grinning as jammed a taser directly under Skipper's engine block… but no ordinary taser… this one was military grade, and caused Skipper to cry out in pain as the electricity hit him like a freight train.

His vision swam, and finally, the Corsair slumped as darkness overtook him, his eyes sliding closed as he slipped into unconsciousness. "Sorry… but this transaction has been revoked!" The Slasher was still grinning as gazed down at the limp Corsair. Turning him around, he once again extended his towing hook and latched it onto Skipper's tail gear. "Time to get you back where you belong!" Beginning to haul the plane back to the wine cellar now, The Slasher whistled to himself in a merry fashion, as if he hadn't have a care in the world.

**The Next Day**

Dusty stood behind his desk in a courtroom of the Los Angeles District Court, nervously chewing his bottom lip. Spray was with him, as he figured he'd report in on the team's progress before the case began. "So traffic cams caught the license plate of the truck as it drove away from the hotel, but the number is one that was stolen from a truck a week ago, so that's gonna be a dead end, we think. However, we did manage to trace the truck out to California State Route 1, but traffic cams ended there."

"Route 1? Doesn't that go all the way up to San Francisco?" Dusty asked with dismay. "He could be anywhere from here to Frisco… hell anywhere in this state! Or in the next few states!" Dusty despaired.

"Hey! Calm down, Dusty! Look… we're gonna find him, OK? I've already contacted our offices in Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona, all right? They're gonna be looking for this truck. Just… try to stay calm, OK? You mentioned you found evidence that Monarch was set up, right?" Spray asked now, trying to keep Dusty's mind in the game.

"Yes… yes I did. I'm going to try and prove it today!" Dusty replied.

"Well good… best of luck, OK? Von Karswerth ain't no easy prosecutor." Spray pointed out.

"Yeah… I know… just… just promise me you'll find him, OK?" Dusty reiterated.

"I already did." Spray smiled. "Just sit tight. Focus on the trial… let me do my thing." Spray nudged Dusty with his wing now, and turned to depart.

"Why do you believe it?" Dusty asked.

"Believe what?" Spray stopped and turned around.

"Volo pro veritas." Dusty explained.

"Heh… because where I come from… people lied all the time… and they lost hope. They lost sight of their truth… hope is what keeps us all going, Dusty. Hope in a better tomorrow… hope that things will work out when they aren't. Hope. Without hope… what do we have?" Spray asked.

Dusty didn't respond, as he merely stared at Spray now, so the FBI agent continued. "I and a bunch of friends packed up and left… I'll never go back… even if I could. At least this world still has hope, Dusty! Volo pro veritas! Don't give up hope! I'm gonna get him back." Spray nodded, and turned to depart.

Dusty sighed, and turned to face the podium as Judge Spinner was announced to be taking the stand. That was weird… where the heck was von Karswerth? She wasn't even here yet for the start of the trial? Suddenly, his radio beeped, causing Dusty to jump. Shakily answering it, he tried to settle his nerves. "Yes?"

"Good morning, Mr. Crophopper! How are you? Ready to win today?" The Slasher's even but almost giddy voice came through the receiver.

"Yes! Is Skipper OK?" Dusty asked.

"He's fine… and I'm giving you a present today!" The Slasher exclaimed.

"A… present?"

"Indeed! A gift! I TOLD you I'd help you out! Happy hunting!" the line went dead, and Dusty was left wondering what exactly the kidnapper meant… but it soon became all too clear…

**Outside The Los Angeles District Court**

Outside the courthouse, Ferika von Karswerth roared up to the building, knowing she was running just slightly late. But it mattered not. She was ready. As she drove forward, eyes tracked her from the crowd out front. A brown Jeep Cherokee clicked off his radio receiver and began making a beeline for the prosecutor. Quickly snapping a gun out of his right hubcap, the Jeep took aim and fired.

The shot caused cars on the street to scream and start driving in all directions, but the loudest scream of all was von Karswerth's, who wailed as the bullet slammed into her lower chassis just behind her right front wheel (ironically the same place her father had been shot by Blackthorn years ago). Crying in pain, von Karswerth pushed her wheel against the wound as her attacker drove off, speeding into the street, he soon vanished amidst the LA traffic. A few blocks away he had melted into the crowd like a ghost, leaving behind the wounded prosecutor as police and rescue workers began to arrive…

**Inside the Los Angeles District Court**

Judge Spinner sighed, tapping his wheel impatiently as the minutes ticked by. "Where is Ms. Von Karswerth, Mr. Crophopper?" Spinner asked with exasperation.

Dusty's eyes widened. "How should I know, your honor? I didn't do anything to her!"

Suddenly, the doors flew open, and Simon Blackthorn drove in. "Mr. Blackthorn?" Spinner asked, looking up at the Maserati now. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm afraid there's been a terrible accident… Prosecutor von Karswerth… was shot outside the courthouse."

"Shot?" Dusty, Judge Spinner, and several others asked at once.

"Yes… but she'll live. She's been hospitalized for now…" Blackthorn explained.

"Well… now what? The State needs a prosecutor!" Spinner practically spat.

"I've been reviewing her notes… your honor, I'd like the opportunity to prosecute this case in her place." Blackthorn stated.

"Really? Are you sufficiently prepared Mr. Blackthorn?" Spinner asked.

"Yes… I am, your honor." Looking over at Dusty now, Blackthorn only lingered his gaze for a moment before looking away and heading to the prosecutor's bench now. "Ahem… I'd like to start by summoning Detective Crawford, chief of the investigation, to the stands."

It was abundantly clear just what The Slasher's "gift" to Dusty was now. He had shot von Karswerth outside in the hopes of getting some average prosecutor appointed in her place… instead however, Blackthorn was stepping up.

Still… it somewhat chilled Dusty knowing he was getting help from such a… violent vehicle. Just who was The Slasher? Crawford took the stand, and his testimony began. "Ahem… well, the murder took place around 8:15 PM, shortly after the Hero of Heroes' ceremony. We found the victim, Juan Cabriole, dead in his hotel room. We initially thought he'd been stabbed to death but… instead, the real cause of death was found to be strangulation. He was wearing a red scarf at the time, and his killer used that to strangle him to death." The initial testimony was completed, and Dusty was ordered to cross-examine.

Rolling out from behind his desk, he looked at Crawford with a contemplative glance. "So… detective, you say Juan was strangled to death? He put up a fight, yes?"

"Quite a fight!" Crawford agreed. "His room was a mess! He fought back against his killer, but ultimately lost the battle."

"And… explain the knife then. Was he stabbed before or after he died?" Dusty asked.

"Hard to tell… but we're pretty sure it was after he had already died."

After? So someone was doctoring the scene… or so it seemed. No need to stab him if he was already dead.

"So…" Blackthorn came out from behind his desk now. "We know the murder took place at 8:15 PM. Mr. Cabriole was strangled to death. Then afterwards, someone stabbed his undercarriage with a knife. Could you please testify as to why you arrested the defendant, Mr. Matt Monarch, detective?" the prosecutor asked now.

"Certainly! So we arrested Mr. Monarch because first off, Monarch had a clear motive for murder. He and Mr. Cabriole were fierce rivals, and competed in everything. They always tried to outdo each other, and we think that's the reason Mr. Monarch committed this murder. Also, we found a button from the victim's Copper Ninja costume on the defendant's wing when we arrested him. ALSO, the knife had Monarch's markings all over it. His wing, his wheel, and we found out he'd bought it ahead of time… thus providing him with premeditation for murder!" Crawford explained.

"Objection!" Dusty put in now. "Wait! The knife was from the hotel!" Dusty pointed out. He'd looked at a picture of the knife, and had seen the words "Imperial" stamped on the side of it. "He didn't BUY the knife! There was no premeditation here!"

Blackthorn suddenly let out a somewhat creepy laugh, and he smirked at Dusty now. "The defense is getting careless, it seems. You are correct… he didn't buy the knife… that was Crawford's mistake… or quite possibly Ms. Von Karswerth's doctoring but… the knife was delivered to his room that night! We've confirmed that! Two sets of silverware were delivered to his room that night… but one set is missing a knife! Furthermore, his markings WERE on the knife… and there were no other markings found! Unfortunately, Crophopper, that was the same knife found at the crime scene! The defendant simply carried it to the victim's room and quite possibly stabbed him with it during the struggle, though ended up killing him by strangulation! There's no other explanation here! Unless of course… you have some evidence proving otherwise?"

Dusty was astounded at how well Blackthorn laid his case out. He hadn't been expecting this, and realized Blackthorn must've been planning this from the start! And there was no evidence he had to counteract this. But he couldn't lose this early on!

"Well, Mr. Crophopper? Anything?" Spinner asked. "If not… it seems this is a fairly cut and dry case! Do you have something contradicting what the police found?"

"I… uh…" Dusty didn't realize he'd be going down THIS quickly! But Skipper! Skipper couldn't die! No! He had to find something!

"Nothing Crophopper?" Blackthorn asked… but curiously, it wasn't mocking or triumphant. The question was genuine, almost as if Blackthorn expected him to say something. "Nothing… you can think of? Nothing… STRANGE about the crime scene?" Blackthorn hinted here.

"What are you doing, Mr. Blackthorn? First you crush the defense now you're hinting there may be ammunition he can use?" Spinner asked, clearly confused. Dusty was just as confused as the judge was. What was Blackthorn's game here? Whose side was he on?

"Uh well…"

"Think… strange… crime scene…" Blackthorn prompted him again.

"The wine glass!" Dusty spoke up now. "If there was such a big struggle… why was there a wine glass sitting perfectly upright on a table? The scene was doctored… but why on earth would my client do such a thing if the deed was as cut and dry as we suppose?" He caught Blackthorn smiling at him here, and Dusty was just as confused as ever. "We need to question the person who found the body about this! She was in the room! She might know! I'd like to…"

"Already way ahead of you, Crophopper. I figured you'd want to question Ms. Taxis, so I've prepared her as the next witness." Blackthorn cut in. Dusty blinked, and stared at the Maserati here, who just gave him a confident smile. "The prosecution summons Adrian Taxis to the stand!"

Was Blackthorn setting him up? Was he helping him? He could've won just now! What was… going on here? Confusion reigned in Dusty's mind as Adrian was brought in now, but he knew he had to keep his head about him, or Skipper was dead! He HAD to get this acquittal! If Taxis was guilty… he could prove it here and now! Blackthorn didn't know about Skipper though so… what was his game?

"Oh yes… one more point before we dismiss Mr. Crawford. Detective, could you testify as to another reason the defendant was arrested?" Blackthorn put in now as Crawford was driving off.

"Oh yeah… right… well uh… a security guard got a photo of Matt Monarch leaving the room." Dusty's heart sank at this now. "Yeah she was hoping to catch Adrian Taxis and the scandal but… she snapped the defendant instead." Crawford explained.

"And let's see this photo! Bring it up on screen now please!" Blackthorn ordered. The photo soon appeared, and sure enough… there was Matt Monarch in his Nickel Racer guise leaving the room but… curiously… his body looked like it was sagging… drooping almost… and Dusty realized it was a costume. ANOTHER costume?

"Hey that's a costume! That's not Matt Monarch!" Dusty pointed out now. "You can see it! It's sagging and drooping… as if someone much smaller is wearing it! And I know who!" Dusty declared now.

"Oh… yes you're right! It does appear to be a costume of the defendant… oddly enough." Blackthorn commented, though he didn't sound surprised. "Anyway, let's summon in Ms. Taxis to the stand!"

What was Blackthorn's game? He presented a piece of evidence that proved the defendant WASN'T in that photograph? This was getting weirder and weirder. Adrian finally took the stand, and was sworn in.

"Witness! Please testify about the undisturbed wine glass. The defense seems to think you have answers to this… and so you do! Please tell him WHY a glass of wine lay undisturbed on the table!" Blackthorn ordered, reversing a bit now as if to give her plenty of room.

"Yes… of course. You see… I did go to Juan's room that night. I had a wine glass with me. When I entered and found the body though, I absent-mindedly set the glass down and that's why it appeared on the table. It was just a stupid mistake on my part… I was in shock after all. So that's why… that's why it seemed so out of place."

Dusty tapped his pontoon on the ground thoughtfully, and moved back to his desk to get his flypad. OK… so she set the glass down… fine… but if a costume of Matt was seen exiting the hotel room… then it had to have been in the room already! But where? If she left the room with it on…

Why it was in the room Dusty had no idea… but he knew the costume had to be in the room! Perhaps in the guitar case that was found opened with no guitar inside? That was something else Dusty found curious… an open guitar case which the police deemed as irrelevant because the guitar had been found back at Juan's studios. So if a guitar wasn't in it… was the costume inside?

"Ms. Taxis… I argue that it was YOU in the photo leaving the victim's room! Now the police found an empty guitar case at the scene… but I argue that costume… since it's CLEARLY a costume… was inside the case!" Dusty pointed out. "And that you left wearing his costume for whatever reason! Well? Since that's not Juan in the costume… and it's not my client… who is it, Ms. Taxis?" Dusty asked now.

Adrian chewed her lower lip, and nodded. "Well… you're right about there being a suit." Adrian confessed. "You see… Juan hated Matt with a passion… and he was going to impersonate him at a press conference that night to falsely confess something that would ruin him. He was bitter about losing the award to Matt, and was going to ruin Matt's career with this press conference by pretending to be him. Juan was of a similar model to Matt after all, and figured he could pull it off."

Aha! THAT was the mysterious press conference! Juan was planning on pretending to be Matt to falsely confess to something! The plot was thickening now! "You know what I think, Ms. Taxis? Here's what I think!" Dusty started his theory now. "I think you entered Juan's room… and strangled him with his scarf! You then proceeded to stab him with a knife you had taken from Matt's room to incriminate my client! You then dressed up as Matt using the second costume you knew about from your affair with the victim, and slipped out of the room carrying the oily button of the Copper Ninja to plant it on Matt while he slept! I mean come on! With Juan dead there was NO reason to risk oil spraying all over the place! Matt wouldn't have stabbed him if he'd TRULY been the killer! Nor would he have taken a BUTTON from the victim's costume! It's all too convenient and completely idiotic! Now my client may be a bit of an airhead but REALLY? You're telling me he stabbed him AFTER he was dead, then removed a button from his costume? For what? It doesn't make ANY sense! YOU'RE the killer, Ms. Taxis! You tried to frame my client! You did this!" Dusty stated accusingly, glaring at her now.

Adrian appeared cornered now, and seemed to shrivel up a bit under Dusty's onslaught. The court was abuzz with conversations as Spinner slammed his gavel and tried to bring the court to order.

"I… I…."

"Come on Ms. Taxis! This is ridiculous! The button is CLEARLY planted evidence! And YOU planted it! Come on! Admit it! You killed Juan Cabriole! Admit it!" Dusty pressed.

"I… I plead the fifth!" Adrian stammered now, causing Dusty to recoil. "I plead the fifth! I do NOT have to say another word! Not unless you have proof against me!" Adrian looked at Dusty now.

Dammit! She was using the protection of the Fifth Amendment, meaning she could legally not say another word!

"Well, Mr. Crophopper. The witness is exercising her Fifth Amendment rights! Do you have proof that would force her to testify?" Spinner asked now.

Dammit! So close… he was SO close! She was the killer! He knew it! "I… I don't exactly…" Dusty said slowly.

"No? Then I'm afraid I'm going to have to suspend this trial another day while you gather evidence to figure out WHO framed your client." Spinner ordered. But this sent Dusty into a panic. His propeller spun rapidly. NO! Skipper would die if the trial was pushed into another day!

"NO!" Dusty yelled, approaching the podium now as Blackthorn looked at him in a strange fashion. "NO YOU CAN'T!" Dusty yelled. "Please your honor! Surely there's more testimony! More evidence the prosecution can present! SOMETHING! PLEASE DON'T' SUSPEND THIS TRIAL!" Dusty pleaded, gazing at the judge desperately.

"What's gotten into you, Crophopper? This is usually the part you exhale because you just bought yourself another day." Spinner pointed out.

"Not today! PLEASE! NOT today! You can't!"

"I have no choice! You clearly proved the button is planted evidence and makes no sense for your client to have taken it! I have to hereby suspend…"

"NO!" Dusty shouted.

"Mr. Crophopper, be quiet!" Spinner snapped. "I'll hold you in contempt of court for another outburst like that!"

"No…" Dusty whispered, panic gripping him as his whole body began to shake. "No… no…"

"Wait!" Blackthorn drove forward now. "Your honor! I'd like to hear some more testimony from the witness!"

"Really?" Spinner asked. "But she's pleading the fifth!"

"Yes but… I want to hear about the wine glass. That can't possibly incriminate her! But there's something I'm curious about… and it may be relevant to this trial. Ms. Taxis… would you mind testifying about the wine glass you brought to the victim's room that night?" Blackthorn asked now.

"All right… I don't see the harm." Adrian shrugged.

Dusty felt like he'd fall into a million pieces right now from the relief of it all. Blackthorn was buying him time! And maybe buying him another chance! "So… please testify about the glass. Was it empty when you brought it into the room? Describe HOW you found the body." Blackthorn stated.

"Yes… all right. Well it was empty when I brought it to his room. I was going to pour him a glass of wine, since he told me he had a bottle ready to be opened." She explained. "When I entered the room, I thought he was asleep at first… so I set the glass down, and saw the bottle there. I decided to pour him a glass, but then I realized he was dead! And I… I left the glass on the table in shock!" Adrian explained, but Dusty knew there was something he could pounce on here. Yes! YES! It wasn't over yet!

"Very well! You may cross-examine, Mr. Crophopper. This seems rather pointless but… go ahead!" Judge Spinner ordered.

"Hmm… you thought he was asleep?" Dusty asked Adrian now.

"Yes… I did." Adrian confirmed.

"You thought he was asleep… with a freaking KNIFE sticking out of his engine block?" Dusty hammered the nail into her testimony here, smirking. "So let me get this straight… you came in… saw him with a knife in his engine block… and what? Proceeded to calmly pour a glass of wine for him?" he asked sarcastically.

"I… I… I…" Adrian stammered.

"The knife WASN'T there was it, Ms. Taxis?" Dusty demanded now, pressing her again. "It wasn't there because YOU KILLED JUAN CABRIOLE!" he shouted.

"I plead the fifth!" Adrian cried again. "I plead the fifth!"

Dammit! Not again! This slippery car! All she could do was clam up every time he brought up a point!

"Then I guess it's over!" Judge Spinner stated here. "Can't force her to testify!"

"NO!" Dusty said again. "She's lying! I proved she's lying! You HAVE to make her testify, your honor!"

"I can't MAKE her do anything, Mr. Crophopper! This is a court of law! There's no decisive evidence in your favor, and I'm going to have to suspend the proceedings another day!"

"Wait!" This time it was Blackthorn again. "I know why the witness won't testify!"

"Don't you dare!" Adrian hissed.

"I don't care if you want to die over it… I WILL get the truth out of you, Ms. Taxis!" Blackthorn shot back, causing Dusty to gasp at the callousness of the Maserati. "You see… it turns out the witness tried to kill herself a few months ago. The witness is weak, your honor! She's only keeping silent because von Karswerth ordered her to! She's extremely dependent, and needs someone to cling to for guidance. Witness… I DEMAND you testify NOW… or Matt Monarch goes free! Is THAT what you want?" Blackthorn asked suggestively, almost as if he knew more than he was letting on. It was like he was hinting to her. "I will dismiss ALL charges against the defendant unless you testify NOW! You don't, the defendant goes free!"

"What in Ford's name are you doing, Mr. Blackthorn? Have you lost your mind?" Judge Spinner asked.

"Wait! No don't set him free!" Adrian cut in now. "I'll testify! I'll testify! Fine… you win…" she was practically sobbing now, but sniffed as she tried to clear the tears from her eyes.

"That's more like it." Blackthorn stated. What was he doing? He seemed to know exactly what he was doing but… was he on Dusty's side here or not?

"Yes… I framed Matt… OK? I framed him! I really thought Juan was asleep when I came in! The knife wasn't in his engine block! He was dead though! So I took the knife… and stabbed him with it! I then took the costume, took the button, and left the room! But I did NOT kill Juan! I didn't! He was dead when I arrived! Yes! I confess to framing Matt… but I did NOT kill Juan! That's the truth! I didn't kill him! I did everything you said… BUT kill him!" she looked at Dusty now.

"Why… would you frame him?" Judge Spinner asked now.

"Because I thought he did it! I thought he killed Juan!" Adrian insisted.

"Ms. Taxis! That's an incredibly ILLEGAL thing to do!" Spinner snapped. "Because you THOUGHT someone committed a crime you decide to frame them?"

"I didn't think it was framing if I already knew!" Adrian insisted.

"How did you 'know?'" Spinner asked, confused.

"I just… I just did! Who else could've done it?" Adrian asked.

"How about a million other cars?" Spinner snapped sarcastically. "Thanks to you, this whole crime scene is contaminated! We don't know WHO killed the victim, or if Matt's even guilty or innocent! This is completely contemptible, Ms. Taxis! I'm ordering your arrest for tampering with the scene of a crime!"

"I… I understand… "Adrian closed her eyes, and slumped. "I understand… I'm sorry… I didn't think it was wrong!"

"Ugh this whole case is a nightmare!" Spinner groaned with exasperation. "I have to suspend proceedings for another day while we try to figure out who REALLY murdered Juan Cabriole! However… that by no means acquits your client, Mr. Crophopper! You'll need to confirm his innocence in the days ahead!"

"Noooo!" Dusty pleaded, knowing what a suspension would mean. "No! No…" But he was out of cards to play… he couldn't prove Taxis as the killer… only that she'd doctored the scene… which might've been her play all along… unless of course she really was innocent of killing Juan. "No… no… Skipper…" Dusty felt the tears sliding down his sides now, knowing he'd failed his friend.

"I hereby suspend court for another day while the defense and prosecution work on figuring out who's REALLY behind Juan Cabriole's death!" Spinner slapped his gavel down, and Dusty sank into a heap on the floor, his pontoons splaying out to either side. "Noooo!" he wailed.

"Ms. Taxis… what is that you're holding?" Blackthorn asked now, as Adrian had taken out a card and was twirling it around in her hubcap now.

"Oh! I picked it up the other day!" She held it out for him to look at now. But this caused Blackthorn to gasp in shock as he saw the pink back and bloody knife on the front.

"You IDIOT!" He yelled, swiping it away from her. "Do you even KNOW WHAT THIS IS?" he demanded angrily.

"I… I didn't!" she confessed, shriveling up away from him.

"UGH! I wish I had KNOWN about this from the start! You got this in the victim's room didn't you… DIDN'T you?" he asked.

"Yes…" she whispered sadly, grimacing.

"Ugh! That explains EVERYTHING!" Gunning his engine, the Maserati sped for the courtroom doors now, and as everyone began filing out, Dusty was left alone… dead to the world. He couldn't hear… he couldn't see… it was like he had blacked out, but was still conscious. Skipper… Skipper… he'd failed Skipper… it was over… he'd failed…


	23. Chapter 23: The Dark Truth

**Author's Note**: Whoo! This one should be an exciting chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews! I'm thrilled you're liking this arc as much as I am! Time to get rolling!

**Back to the Story**

A beeping finally brought Dusty back to reality. Opening his eyes, the firefighter realized he was in a darkened courtroom now. Answering the radio, he dreaded what was going to be said. "Awwww… such a sad lawyer we have here… you must be devastated. But you're wasting time." Came The Slasher's voice now.

"Wasting time?" Dusty asked. "But… but I failed! I didn't get an acquittal!" Dusty pointed out now.

"Mr. Crophopper… you didn't get Mr. Monarch convicted though… and let's face it… I need Mr. Monarch to be acquitted as badly as you need Skipper Riley alive… so I'll grant you another day to get the acquittal. But you have only ONE more day for this… do you understand? I'm doing all the driving so far, it seems, and I need you to reciprocate! You did well today… nothing to be ashamed of. I feel confident you'll get your acquittal given one more day. Now buck up… get back out there, and get cracking!" The Slasher ordered.

Dusty looked around, seeing if he was being watched. "Ahahahah… you're wondering if I'm looking at you now? Look at your radio." The Slasher suggested, and Dusty noticed a small camera upon it now, about the size of a dime. "I'm watching you Mr. Crophopper… both on TV and well… whenever I activate this. So don't give up! You have one more day! I'm a generous soul after all, and we need each other, Mr. Crophopper. Well… OK… I made you need me but heheh, let's not dwell on that. Time's a wasting! Chop, chop! Skipper needs you, after all! He's getting quite lonely!"

"Thank you… thank you for understanding." Dusty whispered, looking right at the camera now. "Thank you…"

"It's purely business, Mr. Crophopper. I'm not completely heartless, which might surprise you, given what I do, but I'm also quite honorable. So get to work! Chin up! I want to see you do this! Now I need to sign off… good luck!" The call went dead, and Dusty sighed here in relief, feeling like he'd just gotten a second wind.

Picking himself up, he knew what he wanted to do first… best get it out of the way now…

**Cedars-Sinai Medical Center**

The tulips were a beautiful pink and red variety, and Dusty almost seemed out of place carrying them as he rolled down the hallways of the hospital. Room 317… 317… ah! Here was it was! Turning the corner, he rolled into the room now, and could see Ferika von Karswerth hooked up to several machines, her bullet hole patched up with a temporary doubler plate. She glared at him as she entered her room. "What… are those?" she asked, looking at the tulips now.

"Oh uh… uh… heheh!" Dusty quickly swiped them behind himself. "You know just… just thought I'd… see how you were doing!" he grinned sheepishly.

"Flowers Crophopper? Really?" von Karswerth asked here.

"Eheheheheh… yeah those are just… yeah…" he grinned here again. "Anyway… how are you feeling?"

"Uh… I'm in pain… I got shot… how do you think?"

"Yeah I… I know…" Dusty said softly. "I'm sorry… uh… mind if I…?" Dusty nodded at the empty flower vase in her room.

She glanced over at it, and gave him an apathetic look. Smiling at her, he rolled over to the vase and placed the tulips in them. "Yeah… those are just… good right there… yeah." Dusty backed away now. "Um… I hope you feel better."

"What are you even doing here?" she asked him icily now.

"You know… I um… care… about others?" Dusty tried, as if she were quizzing him. "I just wanted to pay you a visit… I'm sure you don't get many… but that's not a bad thing!" Dusty quickly cut in now. "I just… you know… wanted to see how you were… because that's what I do?"

"Why are you asking me?" von Karswerth posed the question now.

"Ha! Well because this is kind of awkward, you know? I'm here bringing you flowers and… yeah…" Dusty figured he should just shut up.

Sighing, von Karswerth closed her eyes now. "So…" Dusty began again. "You on any painkillers?"

"Mild ones… I don't want strong ones. They can make me sick." Von Karswerth responded.

"Yeah… and get you feeling loopy." Dusty agreed. "They haven't operated yet, have they?"

"It's later today…" she answered.

"Well that's… that's good."

"I don't understand… why was I shot? Who the hell shot me?" she asked, opening her eyes.

"Uhh… I… I'm not sure!" Dusty lied here, shrugging innocently. "Anyway… um… I should probably… you know… go. Good luck with the surgery…"

"Yeah…" von Karswerth replied, looking out at her door as Blackthorn rolled in.

"Oh… Crophopper. I didn't… expect you to be here… at all." Blackthorn stated.

"Yeah funny thing I… kinda just did it!" he chuckled nervously. "Anyway what the hell were you doing today? You were… different. I mean you revealed Adrian's secret in front of EVERYONE!"

"I needed to drag the truth out of her. She was refusing to talk… so I used the only leverage I could. In court, I'm gambling with my life. I expect each witness to do the same." Blackthorn explained here.

"Uh… yeah… I guess so… what was that card, anyway? You seemed really upset about it." Dusty tried now.

"Outside… not in here… Ferika… I'll see you soon." Blackthorn nodded at her here, and moved with Dusty out into the hallway.

"So… this card is the signature of the world's deadliest contract killer… known as The Slasher." Blackthorn began, causing Dusty's eyes to widen here. "The FBI… Interpol… every police agency on the planet knows about him. He's the best in the business, and is the third generation in a line of assassins. He always leaves these cards at the site of his murders. That idiot Taxis picked it up without thinking when she went into the room…"

"But… that would mean…" Dusty trailed off here.

"Yes… The Slasher murdered Juan Cabriole. He carried out a hit… and I'm willing to bet I know who hired him." Blackthorn stated acidly. "He charges a million per hit… the most expensive assassin in the world. But he's exceptionally good… the best. He's never been identified… never been caught… his physical prowess is said to be second to none. He's killed or wounded multiple law enforcement officers who've gotten close to him. He's capable of taking out the best trained bodyguards to take down his marks. He's no joke, Crophopper."

"Uhh… and… who do you think hired him?" Dusty asked now.

"Your client… Matt Monarch." Blackthorn explained. "He's rich enough to afford him, and it'd be the perfect way to eliminate his rival, Juan Cabriole."

"Matt? But he's such an… an idiot! For lack of a better term!" Dusty cut in now.

"But he's the perfect suspect, Crophopper. Nobody wanted Juan Cabriole dead more than Matt Monarch. Think about it… you wanted answers… there you are."

"No, no, no… something doesn't add up here…" Dusty stated, trailing off now. If The Slasher was hired by Matt… why would he want him acquitted? "Does… The Slasher accept payment BEFORE the hit?" Dusty asked now.

"Of course… what contract killer would accept payment AFTER the hit?" Blackthorn asked.

"True…" But if he already had his money… why help Matt? Something wasn't adding up here. Matt just didn't seem connected to The Slasher save for The Slasher wanting him acquitted. If The Slasher was the killer… someone else had to have hired him. But who? Matt just seemed too easy… but he may as well make sure. "Anyway… I should probably continue my investigation." Dusty stated.

"Right… I'll see you around." Blackthorn replied. "By the way… you were acting awfully strange in court today, Crophopper. I mean… I caught on and bought you some time but… what was so important about ending the trial today?"

"Uhhh nothing! Nothing!" Dusty replied quickly.

"You're lying, Crophopper. Why?" Blackthorn asked. "If something's going on with this trial… I need to know. I can't help you if you're keeping things from me."

"Help me? But you're… the prosecutor!" Dusty pointed out.

Sighing, Blackthorn looked straight at him. "You'll find out soon enough what I'm doing… but fine… you won't tell me, that's OK. Go do your thing. I'll be doing mine."

Nodding, Dusty turned from the Maserati. He needed to go see Matt… ask him about a few things…

**Detention Center**

Matt Monarch was waiting for Dusty at the detention center, still wearing that dopey smile. "Oh hey! You were pretty cool today! I knew you'd do your best! So like… I have a favor to ask! Would you mind going to my house and telling my butler to NOT water the plants tonight? It looks like we're going to get some rain! Please dude! It's really important!"

"Uhh… can't you phone him?" Dusty asked here.

"Dude… I don't know the number of own house! But the address is 4601 out in Malibu! I'd really appreciate it! Please dude? I don't want my garden to drown! I've worked years on it!" Matt pleaded.

"Mr. Monarch…"

"We'll talk later dude! Let me know when you do that! We'll talk then!" Matt waved, and without even waiting for Dusty to respond, turned to buzz the guard to take him back to his cell. Sighing, Dusty closed his eyes and shook his head. Stupid celebrity… he seemed like he lived such an insular life and couldn't do anything without someone else's input! Great… well… may as well go do the stupid errand… if it got Matt to talk to him… why not? He had time too... with his speed, he could be out there in a matter of minutes.

**Monarch Manor**

Monarch Manor was on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. Practically every house out here was lavish and over the top, and as Dusty rolled up the gravel driveway to the manor house, he had decided to give Spray a quick call to bring him up to speed. "The Slasher?" Spray asked, his voice dropping. "That's who kidnapped Skipper?"

"Yes… I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner…" Dusty answered apologetically.

"Crap…" Spray breathed. "Dusty he's… Public Enemy Number One. Top of the FBI's Most Wanted List. Arguably the greatest and most skilled assassin on this planet."

"Yeah… so I've heard." Dusty replied glumly. "How are… the chances of taking him down?"

"Well I'm not gonna lie, Dusty. No one's ever taken him down. His father and his grandfather were never caught… he's the third in his line… and well… it's every FBI agent's dream to take him down. He doesn't charge a million dollars a hit for nothing, after all. You pay him… you get what you pay for and so much more." Spray explained.

"But it's not… hopeless… right?" Dusty asked.

"Nothing's hopeless… this could be our big break, after all." Spray replied.

"You get a trace on his radio yet?"

"No… he's using an extremely complex signal bouncer… we've traced it to at least a dozen locations all over the Greater Los Angeles area… but then again, now that I know who I'm dealing with… I can't say I'm surprised." Spray confessed.

"Yeah just… get him back, Spray." Dusty stated as he stopped at the gate to Monarch Manor.

"I will. I'll see you back at the station. I'm gonna do some digging at the hotel… do you want me to tell Blackthorn what the deal is with Skipper? I think he needs to know." Spray offered.

"No… no let me tell him." Dusty replied. "But I know what he's gonna think… that my client is the one who's behind this… I'm not convinced though! Just… let me tell him." Dusty stated.

"OK… see you soon." Spray hung up, and Dusty buzzed the manor house.

"Monarch residence, may I ask who you are?" came a British accented voice from the speaker, and Dusty could see he was on camera.

"Yes…. I'm Dusty… Dusty Crophopper… I'm here on behalf of Matt Monarch… I'm his lawyer. I need to tell his butler something." Dusty explained, looking at the camera.

"Come on up to the house!" A buzz sounded, and the gate slowly swung open now. Dusty approached the mansion, and whistled at the grounds surrounding it.

"Wow! Must be nice to live in one of these!" he exclaimed, heading towards the big wooden front door. The door swung open noiselessly upon his approach, and a brown Jeep Grand Cherokee smiled affably at the firefighter. Dusty thought this SUV looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place him.

"Good evening, Mr. Crophopper. I'm Mr. Monarch's butler, Nigel. What message did you wish to deliver?" the British accented vehicle inquired.

"Wow! Can I just… look inside real quick?" Dusty asked eagerly, craning to get a better view of the interior of the manor. Nigel smiled, and moved aside for the plane. Rolling on in, Dusty gawked at the contemporary furniture and the polished wood floors. "Whoa!" he gasped, smiling widely. Somewhere in the house, a grandfather clock could be heard ticking heavily away. _Tick… tock… tick… tock…_

"This place is amazing!" Dusty exclaimed, grinning.

"Yes… it is quite something. Now… the message?" Nigel asked once more.

"Oh right! Uh Matt said don't water the garden tonight… I guess the sprinklers or something? He says it looks like rain!" Dusty relayed.

Nigel glanced outside. "Well… I disagree but… Mr. Monarch knows best! Very good, sir. Can I offer you anything before you go?" Nigel asked.

"No… as much as I'd like to say yes! I've got to get back to LA!" Dusty replied, heading for the door now.

"Good luck to you, sir! We're all hoping that you can get Mr. Monarch acquitted! Such a good plane you are, doing this for him!" Nigel heartily thanked Dusty.

"Hey it's uh… it's no problem, all right? I'll get him back here tomorrow!" Dusty started up his engine now as he prepared to take off.

"No doubt!" Nigel called as Dusty roared off into the late dusk.

**Imperial Hotel**

Spray stared at a giant plush plane sitting in Juan Cabriole's hotel room at the Imperial. There were several life size dolls in here, all plush, all sent from admirers. "Heh… guy certainly liked his stuffed planes, didn't he?" Spray murmured as Brandon Escapa poked around some of the personal effects.

"Yeah… you ask me? It's a little creepy." Brandon replied. "So the kidnapper and the killer are one and the same?"

"Yeah… seems like it. You got anything, Speedbump?" Spray asked his forklift partner, the small vehicle working feverishly to set up a scanner.

"I can't configure it! We're getting massive interference from something! I don't understand! Nothing in this room would cause this kind of interference!" Speedbump complained.

"Interference? What kind of interference?" Spray asked now, turning to look at the forklift and narrowing his eyes as his ailerons twitched.

"Electronic! Like… a transmitter or jammer or something! I don't understand!" Speedbump replied.

"Jammer… hold on…" Spray dropped his visor over his eyes, and began scanning for energy signatures. While the interference caused static and pulsing on his readings, he managed to sweep the room and narrow down the source. The eye of one of the plushes was glowing orange, and Spray pursed his lips as he rolled over to it. "Hey! It's coming from the eye!"

"The eye?" Brandon asked, rolling over to the doll now. Squinting, Brandon reached a wheel out and tugged out a small camera from the eye of the doll with a smooth pop. "Well would you look at this!" he declared, smirking. "A camera… one that's set to transmit video!"

"What the hell?" Spray asked as he pushed his visor back up. "Why would this doll have a camera in it?"

"I bet… someone was spying on the victim!" Brandon explained. "Pretending to be a fan! I mean hell… these dolls are all sent anonymously anyway! Juan wouldn't suspect he was being spied on!"

"Do you think this camera could've recorded the murder?" Spray asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe! Speedbump! Can you run diagnostics on this thing and see if it transmitted the night of the murder?" the Ford Escape asked now as he rolled over to the forklift.

"Pfft! Are you painted black?" Speedbump asked, rolling his eyes. "Gimme!" Speedbump studied the camera, and pulled the back of it off before hooking it up to a plug from his computer. "OK! Let's see what we got!" Sticking his tongue out as he tapped rapidly away on his keyboard, he fixated on the screen as the data was brought up. "Hmmm…"

"Anything useful? Like say… the murder?" Spray asked.

"Nah… data's all been transmitted elsewhere… it was never actually stored in the camera to begin with… so I can't pull up a copy. BUT! I can tell you that yes! This camera transmitted the night of the murder!" Speedbump grinned here as he nodded. "Most definitely!"

"So somewhere… we have a physical copy of this crime!" Spray stated, his ailerons twitching once more. "Say… could we trace this camera? Find out who bought it?"

"That… might be a little harder." Speedbump admitted. "See like… it's a fairly common brand. I mean we could try but chances are every Radio Shack, electronics outlet and pawn shop sells one of these! Hell I wouldn't be surprised if it was purchased via a third party on Ebay!"

"Damn! So much for a lead on who was recording!" Spray cursed now.

"Trace the plush." The words came from Simon Blackthorn, who was standing in the doorway now, smirking.

"Mr. Blackthorn!" Spray brightened up seeing the prosecutor.

"That plush looks like it came from overseas… that should be MUCH easier to track down! Trace the plush!" Blackthorn reiterated, still smiling.

"Excellent idea, sir! It's good to see you back in the field!" Spray commented.

"Hopefully it'll be for good." Blackthorn replied with a nod. "You find anything further?"

"Not yet… except that there's a video of the murder." Spray explained.

"Really? Ugh if only we could find it! If the person who hired The Slasher recorded him doing it on tape… that would be a clear breach of trust between The Slasher and his client. The Slasher has a… sense of honor that he shares with his clients. But all the same… this could be key to cracking this case, regardless of who caught the murder on tape." Blackthorn stated.

"Yeah… definitely! Speedbump! Can you trace where the video was sent to?" Spray asked now.

"Ummm… no." Speedbump replied after a moment. "It traveled too great a distance and was bounced around a bit, probably to a remote location but… I wouldn't be surprised if it was bounced right back to this hotel, for all I know!"

"Anyway… let's wrap it up here! Dusty's going to be meeting me soon at the precinct. I need to update him on the progress we made… Brandon! Start tracking that doll down! Let me know what you find out!" Spray ordered.

**The Precinct**

At the station, Dusty was brought up to speed by Spray, and with Blackthorn present, Dusty figured it was time to come clean about the whole thing. "I… I was acting strangely in court today because The Slasher has Skipper! He took him the night of the murder!"

Blackthorn's face softened here. "Skipper's been abducted?"

"He's holding him hostage… saying if I don't get Matt acquitted… Skipper dies. That's why I couldn't have the trial suspended! He needed an acquittal the first day!" Dusty explained.

"Crophopper… you've been compromised… you shouldn't be working this case."

"I have no choice!" Dusty responded forcefully. "I DON'T work the case, he dies! What… do I do?" Dusty asked.

"No… you're right… I'm sorry. You need to work this case… everyone is entitled to a fair defense." Blackthorn stated now. "It's just… I don't believe your client is innocent, Crophopper. Why ELSE would The Slasher be helping him?"

"I don't know! But… I'm not giving up on Matt!" Dusty stated.

Sighing, Blackthorn nodded. "I understand…" He paused as Brandon drove up now.

"I got it! Tracked the doll down to a shop in Germany! Paid for on the internet with a credit card! Account holder is Mr. Matt Monarch!" Brandon declared proudly, causing Dusty's face to contort into one of shock here.

"What? Matt… purchased the doll with the camera in it?" Dusty asked. "Are you sure?"

"No mistake!" Brandon replied. "It was charged to his account, he never reported a faulty charge so… looks like Matt was the one recording the murder that night!"

"I… I don't understand… what if… what if it's… someone close to him? His assistant? His secretary? His accountant! Someone who has access to his financials!" Dusty tried now.

"Crophopper… go talk to your client… ask him. You need to know the truth as much as we do. I just DON'T think Monarch's as innocent as you proclaim! All roads are leading to him!" Blackthorn broke in.

"But… but all roads led to my clients previously! They were ALL innocent! No… I… I'll go find out!" Dusty declared now.

"I'll go with you… but I have to wait outside of course… since that conversation will be confidential." Blackthorn offered.

"OK… I'll go ask him… see what he says." Dusty said softly, turning to head to the nearby detention center now.

**Detention Center**

Matt was grinning in that same dopey fashion Dusty was so used to by now as he rolled up to the glass. "Hey! Did you tell my butler NOT to water the garden?" Matt asked.

"Yeah… I did… Matt… we need to talk." Dusty said softly.

"OK… about what?" Matt asked here.

"About… a plush you purchased in Germany… with a camera in it… it was set to record the night of the murder… and we pretty much know that the murderer is The Slasher. Matt… I need to know… you didn't… hire The Slasher to kill Juan, did you?" Dusty asked now. "Why did you purchase that plush and send it to Juan anonymously? You had a camera in there! You were spying on him! Why? What's… going on?" Dusty asked, almost pleadingly.

He was expecting Matt to keep grinning, to say he had no idea what Dusty was talking about… that he was clueless. But a dark light began burning in Matt's eyes now as he grinned… but it wasn't dopey… it wasn't innocent… and it wasn't friendly. "Heh… so… caught on, have you Crophopper?" Matt asked here, his grin widening which caused Dusty to gape in horror at his client. "Heheh… yeah… all right fine… I hired The Slasher to kill Juan… that jerk was going to ruin my reputation with Celeste's will! I KNEW he had that will the moment I heard Juan had found her body!"

"What?" Dusty asked in a voice barely above a whisper. "What?" He was horrified, staring at Matt as Matt began to outline it all.

"You see… I'm partly the reason Celeste killed herself in the first place." Matt sneered. "Heheh… let's just say… before Celeste and Juan were… Celeste and Juan… it was Celeste and me. We dated for awhile… but then she dumped me for that loser Juan! I mean come on! That guy was a total chump! But fortunately… Juan hates me about as much as I hate him… or hated him, I should say. So when I heard those two were engaged… I told Juan… I told him ALL about how I had had Celeste first before him… I played RIGHT off his hatred of me… hahahahah! You should've seen his face! He was furious! Oh man was that rich! He broke off his engagement and broke Celeste's heart! She killed herself in sorrow and well… I was triumphant. But that jerk got her will first! And I KNEW… I KNEW she said things about me in it… things that could ruin me! Ruin me forever! And when I heard about some crap press conference where I was going to 'confess' something at the convention… I knew Juan was going to read that will! I COULDN'T let him ruin me!" Matt snapped, his voice strained and sounding alien now to Dusty, who only stared in mounting horror, his body shaking as he listened to his client.

"So yeah… I needed to prevent that will from ever seeing the light of day! So I hired the best killer in the business… I ordered him to kill Juan and destroy that will! And did he ever! He did it ALL! He killed Juan, destroyed the will… but I still got blamed anyway!" Matt snapped. "No thanks to my idiot manager picking up The Slasher's card and trying to frame me!"

"Why… why are you telling me this? You… you're a monster!" Dusty gasped.

"Because you can't do ANYTHING about it!" Matt sneered. "You even THINK of sabotaging my trial tomorrow, you friend dies, you understand me? You WILL defend me, Crophopper… because you have no choice! You're gonna give it your all tomorrow… and I'm gonna sit and watch you get me acquitted! Hahahahah!" Matt laughed uproariously now, causing a blaze to enter Dusty's eyes now. He was seeing red , and was losing control of himself. Lashing out, he angrily struck the glass hard with his propeller tip.

"NO!" Dusty yelled, though his assault had about as much effect as a fly striking a concrete wall.

"Hahahahah!" Matt merely laughed in response. "And what are you gonna do? Kill me? I'm sooooo scared!" Matt mocked. "You can't DO anything to me! You don't give it your all tomorrow? Your friend dies! You hurt me? Your friend dies! You don't get me an acquittal? Your friend… DIES! You're helpless! You have to do EXACTLY as I say! So go and give it your all tomorrow for me! I'll be cheering you on! I'll walk away a free plane, and you will have acquitted a murderer! Hahahahahah!"

Dusty was panting heavily now, his lip trembling, his body shaking, and he turned away, unable to face Matt any longer. He barreled out of the interview room, and almost slammed into Blackthorn, who was waiting outside. "Crophopper?" the Maserati asked as Dusty tore by him. "Dusty!" Blackthorn shouted, moving to chase after him now. "Dusty!" Blackthorn called as Dusty finally stopped outside on the ramp of the detention center, collapsing into a sobbing heap as he finally lost it, his emotions roaring out now like a tsunami.

"Crophopper? What's wrong?" Blackthorn asked, huffing as he drove up to him.

"He… he did it!" Dusty sobbed, barely able to talk. "He's behind all of it! He hired The Slasher!" Dusty cried. "He… has Skipper… and I… I… I…"

Blackthorn pursed his lips. He figured this was coming… his hunch had been correct. Hesitating, the Maserati finally reached out and placed a wheel on Dusty's right pontoon. "Crophopper… you can't give up…" he said softly.

"But I LOSE EITHER WAY!" Dusty cried. "I don't defend him… Skipper dies! I get him acquitted… I let a guilty plane go free! I can't…. I can't do this… what do I do?" He was a wreck, completely torn up, and Blackthorn closed his eyes and patted Dusty's pontoon.

"You do your job… Crophopper EVERYONE is entitled to a fair defense in this country… EVERYONE. You may have been forced into taking Matt's case but… you need to do your job. I know you feel like you're alone right now… and helpless… but I have your back on this, OK? I am going to do everything in my power to help you tomorrow in court… beat you even. And Agent Kane will not stop until Skipper is safe. I'll use every trick I have to stall for time… stall for time while we try to find Skipper. I have your back on this… OK?" Blackthorn asked, trying to reassure him.

"You have MY back? What would you know about having ANYONE'S back?" Dusty asked angrily. "You ran away… made everyone think you died… because what? I destroyed your perfect win record? You are so PETTY!" Dusty yelled, causing Blackthorn to back up a bit.

"You… I see… you think that's why I ran… no… that's not it. Dusty when you beat me… I began to realize the error of my ways… and it wasn't until you showed me what volo pro veritas REALLY means… that… shattered my perception of the world… it rocked me to my core… and I… I couldn't handle it at the time… I needed answers but… I needed to find them on my own… I didn't abandon you… I never did… and I'm not now. You showed me TRUTH Dusty! You showed me what it means to fight for truth! Not for a win record… not for your client… but for TRUTH. Finding the TRUTH of a matter… truth… that's what matters in trials, Crophopper… finding out the truth. I think you've forgotten that but… I WILL help you. I'm not letting you face this alone." Blackthorn reiterated. "Truth… that's what I wanted out of Ms. Taxis today… that's what I wanted to show you… truth. Not that she was a killer as you thought… but that she had doctored the scene. You AREN'T alone in this!"

Dusty was about to respond when his receiver beeped. Gasping, he answered immediately. "You! How could you support someone like Matt Monarch?" Dusty demanded without letting The Slasher talk first.

"Ahhh… so you've figured it out, have you?" The Slasher asked in response.

"Why? You've got your money! You've done your deed! Why protect Matt any further?" Dusty snapped.

"Mr. Crophopper… I'm disappointed in you… it's my reputation! Why do you think I charge a MILLION for a simple hit? Most assassins accept not even a tenth of that! It's because not only am I the best… but I come with a 100% insurance clause guaranteed! It would be bad for my business if my clients went to jail over my actions… so I ensure they get off without a care in the world if something DOES go wrong. Not only does this make me reliable, it makes me trustworthy as well. You hire me… you have no problems with the law. I ENSURE my clients are protected, Mr. Crophopper… for life. THAT'S what you pay a million for… my services are manifold." The Slasher explained. "So you WILL do your best tomorrow for my client… won't you?"

"I… I…"

"Of course you will… because if you don't… Skipper Riley will be tragically found by the police in some ravine… not in one piece." The Slasher threatened. "Now Mr. Crophopper, I bid you goodnight!" But just as The Slasher was about to sign off, Dusty could hear something… a repetitive noise just barely audible in the background… and his heart raced as he recognized it before the call ended.

"I… I know where they're holding Skipper!" Dusty gasped, looking at Blackthorn now. "I need to called Spray!"

**Monarch Manor**

Spray's task force drove through the night at high speed, whizzing their way out towards Malibu and Monarch Manor. After Speedbump had enhanced the sound in the call, it was without a doubt a ticking grandfather clock. Dusty had almost missed it but he'd been right! He knew it because he'd heard it only hours ago! Spray's entire team was now racing through the night to storm Matt's mansion, and Dusty and Blackthorn were in tow with a second FBI team who were coming in as backup. It had all come down to this! If Skipper was saved, Dusty could simply let Matt get convicted tomorrow!

The lights of Monarch Manor glowed like a beacon of hope in the darkness of the Californian night, and Spray ordered a lights blackout as they approached. "OK team two! You'll be circling around to the back! My team! We're going right in the front!" Spray commanded. "I want him taken alive but use extreme caution! This guy does NOT screw around! He's outsmarted every law agency on the planet, and has killed numerous officers of the law in multiple countries! Do NOT take this guy for granted! I want this place completely surrounded before we go in!"

The task force moved up the driveway to the manor now, and Speedbump quickly overrode the gate controls and forced it open. "All right! Team two, signal when you're in position! We cut the power on my mark and storm the place on my command!" Spray had ordered the local power company to cut the power to Monarch Manor at a time of his choosing, and as the teams rolled up to the front and back doors now, Spray dropped his visor for night vision. "Brandon, you have point! Linda! Tell the power company in three… two… ONE!" Spray shouted, and the lights went dead inside the mansion.

"OK… on my mark… three… two… ONE!" Spray whispered, and Brandon burned rubber and crashed through the front door, shattering the wood into millions of splinters as the door disintegrated from his heavily reinforced frame.

"FBI!" Brandon yelled out as the second team breached the rear door. Brandon's gun was drawn as he began moving from room to room, following closely by Spray. "Clear!" Brandon shouted as he moved on to the next room.

"Clear!" came back another shout.

"Clear!" Spray called out as he checked the living room.

"Clear!" "Clear!" "Clear!" All throughout the house the clears rang out, and Spray's heart rate began to subside as he realized they may have been given the slip. The final room, the wine cellar, was cleared, but a single note was found in the darkness.

"Dammit!" Spray hissed as the final clear sounded out.

Emerging back outside, Dusty eagerly rolled up to him. "Well? What did you find? Is Skipper OK?" he frantically asked.

"They're gone… both of them. I'm sorry Dusty… but they couldn't have gone far! Linda! Fly high! Look for vehicles on the road! They HAVE to be close by!"

Dusty's heart sank as he heard the bad news… Skipper was gone… and so was The Slasher… he'd anticipated them… "DAMMIT! I was here earlier today! I'm such AN IDIOT! He was right under my nose!" Dusty swore, kicking up gravel angrily with his pontoon.

"Don't blame yourself! You couldn't have known! We found this…" Spray handed the note over to Dusty now. It was Skipper for sure, and read:

_"Dusty, you better get that two-bit slimeball Monarch convicted tomorrow, or I will never forgive you! Give them hell! Volo pro veritas!"_

Dusty pursed his lips, and blinked here, trying to harden up and put on his best face.

"Well, Crophopper?" Blackthorn asked, driving up beside him.

"Dusty we are CLOSE! He CAN'T be far! You're gonna need to buy time for me and my team so we can get Skipper back! Don't give up!" Spray put in his two cents as well.

"Yes… yes of course… I… I have to defend Matt until you rescue him."

"And I'll have your back." Blackthorn reassured him.

"We both will!" Spray chimed in. "Give 'em hell, Dusty!"

"You can do it, Crophopper." Blackthorn nudged Dusty's pontoon now.

"We both can…" Dusty nodded back at Simon, the light finally having returned to his eyes now, despite his situation. He had no idea if he could pull this off but… there was no other choice. It was game on from this point! Do or die! Skipper would be saved… and Matt would NOT be acquitted if he could help it! Somehow… he'd find out how to pull this off. Somehow… he'd pull out a miracle. Volo pro veritas…


	24. Chapter 24: The Slasher Strikes Back

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews, as usual! I'm glad that last chapter evoked some pretty powerful emotions! Onto one that's rather action packed now as we draw ever closer to the thrilling conclusion of this case! :D

**Back to the Story**

"No… no… Skipper! SKIPPER!" Dusty awoke with a start, yelling the Corsair's name as sunlight streamed into his hotel room window. Blinking groggily, he could see Blackthorn over at the nearby desk, reading a book.

"Crophopper?" the Maserati asked, shutting the book now.

"It was a nightmare…" Dusty murmured, blinking his eyes again to try and get them to focus. "You stayed here… the whole night?"

"Of course." Blackthorn replied. "I mean I had little choice. When we got back to your room you basically passed out from exhaustion so… I decided to stay."

"Did you get any sleep?" Dusty asked now.

"Yes… and judging from the looks of it… I slept better than you." Blackthorn offered a sympathetic smile here.

"How are we gonna pull this off today?" Dusty asked.

"I'm not sure but… we'll think of something, you and I. You had my back before… I have yours now." Blackthorn said reassuringly.

"But… I was repaying you for saving me in class…"

Blackthorn held up a wheel. "I never considered you in my debt for that. It's my turn to help you now. Let's grab some breakfast and get down to the courthouse. You look like you could use some coffee." The prosecutor cracked another smile here.

"Hey Blackthorn… if you beat me today… my perfect record goes up in smoke." Dusty smiled groggily here.

"I'm not concerned about that, Crophopper. I'm concerned about getting the truth. But you're right… I'll relish the moment." Blackthorn smiled again here, only half serious.

"Let's just get that coffee… I need to wake up…" Dusty murmured, and trudged towards the door as Blackthorn moved to open it for him.

**Los Angeles District Court**

In the lobby of the Los Angeles District Court, Dusty decided to ring Spray to find out how the search for The Slasher was going. Spray answered on the second ring. "Spray! Good morning! Any leads?"

"Dusty! I think we're closing in on him! We've cordoned off the area but we think he's ditched Skipper somewhere else last night! Still… we find him, we find Skipper! I need you to stall for time in court! Linda was able to track their general position last night when she conducted an aerial search! We're close Dusty! Just buy me time! We'll get him back, and then all you have to do is let Blackthorn convict Matt!"

Dusty sighed in relief. "Great! OK I'll do that! Call me as soon as you have an update!" Dusty added.

"Will do! Talk to you later!" Spray promptly hung up, and Dusty steeled himself now. Right… buy time. As much as he didn't want to… he'd have to go after Adrian Taxis again. He needed to try and pin things on her for a bit. It was clear Matt wanted Adrian to take the fall as the mastermind, so he'd play that deck until he ran out of cards.

Heading into the courtroom now, he took his spot, catching a knowing smirk from Matt on the way in. Dusty ignored him, as he figured he wouldn't give him the time of day in this trial. He'd fight for him sure… but only so long as Skipper's life was still at risk.

"Well Mr. Blackthorn. What have we found out?" Judge Spinner asked, bringing the court to session.

"Quite a bit, your honor. We are now positive that Juan Cabriole was killed by the notorious contract killer, The Slasher, however, I still intend to prosecute the defendant as the one who hired The Slasher in the first place! I will prove that Matt Monarch is the one behind the slaying of Juan Cabriole!" Blackthorn stated.

"Very well! Your first witness, if you please!" Judge Spinner said. "This ought to be good! I haven't presided over a case that had to with The Slasher yet!"

"I summon Ripslinger as the first witness, your honor!" Blackthorn announced, and Dusty wondered just what Rip witnessed the night of the murder. It must've not been very important at first… but he'd find out.

Ripslinger wheeled himself in and took the stand, and they were off and running. He was asked to testify about a suspicious scene he'd encountered the night of the murder, so he began. "Well before the ceremony started, I went to congratulate Matt, because I knew he'd already won. However, when approaching his room, I saw a bellboy from the hotel outside his door. Matt was giving this guy a tip… and Matt is usually a stingy guy… but this bellboy was receiving WADS of cash! I thought it suspicious at the time. Later on, after the ceremony, I was heading to the restroom, and passed by Matt's room again. This time, I saw the same bellboy handing over a…. statue or something… to Matt. I'm now convinced this bellboy was The Slasher in disguise… he was accepting his payment for the contract killing from Matt… and then was giving him something later on… I'm not sure what. Anyway, that's the connection. That's why I think Matt hired The Slasher to kill Juan."

Dusty thought about this, and nodded as Judge Spinner ordered him to start his cross-examination. OK… he had to try and pin this on Taxis… and get the trial to drag out. "So… Rip… slinger." Dusty added, remembering to address him formally for this. "What DID my client give to this suspicious bellboy? I need details. A 'something' isn't going to cut it."

"Uhhh… well… I think it was like a wooden plane or something… it was hard to tell. It almost looked like uh… what do you call it? Rubik's cube? Like that! But plane shaped!" Rip stated now.

"Huh… so like a puzzle?" Dusty pressed.

"Yeah! A puzzle!" Rip agreed.

"Perhaps there was something inside that puzzle!" Dusty offered now. "I argue that that puzzle contained Celeste Carfax's missing will! So tell me, Ripslinger… the first time you saw Matt hand out this large tip… it was Matt you saw? Positive?" Dusty asked here.

"Yeah… positive. I saw his face…"

"No flabby… hanging skin? No weird look?"

"Nope, don't think so." Rip shook his head.

"And the second time? POSITIVE it was Matt?" Dusty asked.

"Well… I didn't get a good look that time. I could sort see his nose but… that's about it. Same paint scheme though!" Rip insisted.

"Then… I argue it might've been Adrian Taxis wearing the Nickel Racer costume you saw! If you had no view of who was receiving this puzzle, it could've easily been Adrian Taxis, since we KNOW she was wearing the costume that night!"

"Objection!" Blackthorn put in now. "Crophopper, we retrieved that puzzle last night at Monarch Manor! I present it into the court as evidence!" Blackthorn produced the little toy plane puzzle now, and set it down on the judge's bench. "Here's my theory! I think you're correct, Crophopper. This toy contains the missing will! However! I argue that it was Matt Monarch that received the toy! But when the police arrested him, he couldn't risk it being discovered, so he ordered The Slasher to retrieve it and take it back to his house! THAT'S why it was found when we raided the place! The Slasher was keeping it safe for his client… Matt Monarch!"

"Objection!" Dusty shouted back. "It could've been planted there by Adrian Taxis EASILY! She had access to his home.. his codes… everything! We already KNOW she was trying to frame my client that night… she could've gone to his house afterwards and planted that toy there after Matt was arrested! There'd be nobody home to stop her after all, with Matt in jail! I argue this is still part of her setup! She received the toy in disguise that night and planted it at Matt's house!" Dusty proclaimed, smirking now. "I call for a recess while we summon Ms. Taxis back to the stand!" Dusty requested now.

Blackthorn knew this was nothing but a stall tactic on Dusty's part, and he was doing an admirable job. He gave a small nod to him now, and looked at the judge. "Fine! Let's get to the bottom of this! I'll rip the defense's theory apart and prove he's grasping at straws!" Blackthorn stated confidently. "Let's summon Ms. Taxis from the detention center!"

"Very well! I call for a 30 minute recess while we retrieve Ms. Taxis! Bailiff, see to it that Ms. Taxis is brought here!" Judge Spinner ordered, slapping his gavel now. "Court is in recess!"

Exhaling, Dusty knew he'd bought them some valuable time. Every second was precious here, and he had done his part.

Rolling towards the lobby, he knew he could rest easy for a bit. "Great move, Crophopper!" Blackthorn praised. "Way to waste time!"

"Yeah well… it's all I've got right now! Plus it makes me look good to The Slasher… I'm still trying to pin this on Taxis after all, which is what he wants." Dusty commented.

"Yeah… I'm pretty sure I'll be able to prove you 'wrong' but… we'll take it from there."

"Just don't destroy me in the first few minutes OK? Drag it out." Dusty winked here.

Rolling out into the lobby, Dusty looked up at the ceiling, pleased with himself. But a wicked laugh from behind him caused him to turn to face Matt. "Hahahahahah! Oh look at you! How desperate you are to save your friend! Willing to get an innocent car blamed for something she didn't do! Oh it must KILL you to do this! But you're doing well! Good job, Mr. Attorney! Hahahah! If you pull this off… an innocent car gets blamed for murder and a guilty one goes free! Ha! This is SO rich! The heroic and noble Dusty Crophopper gets an innocent car convicted! Hahahahah!" Matt gloated, laughing his head off as he went off to find his police escort now.

Dusty glared after him, resisting the urge to smack him with his wing… but that would only get Skipper killed. He dialed Spray now, hoping for an update. "Dusty!" Spray answered.

"Spray… any news?" Dusty asked hopefully.

"We've cornered him! We're at a circus in Oxnard! We've surrounded the place! We're about to move! Buy more time! We're closing in! Will update you when I can!" Spray cut the call there, and Dusty's heart soared. Yes! They were closing in! Hopefully they could bring The Slasher in! Make him confess who'd hired him! Great! It was time to get back to work in that case!

**Circus Outside Oxnard**

Spray raised his visor after using their binocular effect to try and scope the place out. A highway patrol officer sitting on the side of the road had fortuitously picked up The Slasher heading into the grounds of a circus outside Oxnard. The officer had been ordered NOT to pursue for obvious reasons, and had pretended to not even notice the Jeep as he'd driven by. The FBI had surrounded the place now, and Spray had pinpointed The Slasher in one of the makeshift buildings the circus was using. No sign of Skipper Riley… but he'd probably been dumped someplace overnight.

"OK… Bravo Team! He's in the building with the fruit on the sign! He hasn't left! When I give the signal… we advance. My team goes in from the front… Bravo you take the back! Ready? On my count… three… two… ONE! GO! GO! GO!" Spray ordered, and raced across the open ground towards the building now, with Brandon and Serena following closely behind. Linda hovered overhead, while Speedbump was staying back.

Bravo team, also five members, headed towards the back of the building, weapons drawn. But as Spray approached, automatic gunfire shot out from the building, nicking the black paint on Spray's wing as he swerved to get under cover. "COVER! COVER!" he yelled, cursing his hastiness. He should've known The Slasher would put up a fight! Ducking behind some barrels, Spray stayed low to the ground. Bullets impacted with Serena's face, but her bulletproof façade absorbed the shots as they ricocheted off her body. The FBI agents opened up on the building from all directions, peppering the wooden structure before Spray yelled for them to cease fire.

"CHECK FIRE! CHECK FIRE! Possible innocents inside!" Spray yelled, and the gunfire promptly died.

Just as it did, the back window of the building exploded as The Slasher burst out of it, landing on top of one of the startled agents of Bravo Team. His submachine gun was rapidly kicked out of his hubcap before he could even react, and The Slasher jumped down and used his wheel to kick in the wheel of the agent with such force that it was bent at an odd angle, causing the agent to scream in pain.

"No you don't!" Spray shouted, turning to get a clear shot as he opened up with his wing guns, blasting the area around The Slasher as Brandon also opened up on him. But the Jeep was quick, and accelerated around a second agent as the agent tracked him with his gun. Before he could squeeze off a burst though, the gun was ripped from his wheel and whacked across his face, throwing him off balance and allowing The Slasher to get by.

Locking his rear wheels up and executing a perfect 180 degree turn, The Slasher raised the captured rifle and fired a single shot right at the gas tank of the agent he'd just knocked to the side, the bullet finding its mark perfectly and penetrating the unarmored gas cap, which sent the unfortunate agent up in a massive ball of flames and smoke as his body exploded with terrific force, showering the nearby agents of Bravo Team with his burning debris and creating a perfect cover for The Slasher to speed off.

"DAMN! REPORT!" Spray called, heading over to his wounded second team as The Slasher drove off. Linda attempted pursuit but the wily Jeep spun around again and opened up on her with a murderous fire from the rifle as he drove backwards. He hammered her rotors and windscreen, which caused her to turn away as Spray ordered her to return to him and break off pursuit. The Slasher spun back around and sped up. The cops surrounding the circus opened fire on him, but his heavily modified body absorbed the shots quite well, and his reinforced bumper crashed into two patrol cars head on, forcing them aside as he sped by them and out onto the main road out of town as he peeled away from the scene.

Spray could see one agent was dead (from his gas tank exploding), four others were badly injured, and Linda had suffered some damage to her windscreen. Cursing, Spray ordered a medivac for the wounded agents, and shook his head in disbelief. An entire team of agents taken out in one swoop! It was like some bad spy movie… except it was real! The Slasher was extremely dangerous… but Spray had known that going in, but he'd still been bested! However, as it turned out… his hastiness had a positive he hadn't even guessed at.

"Boss! We got something! Might've hit pay dirt!" Brandon declared as he drove out of the building now. He was carrying three items in his trunk, and immediately spat them out onto the ground for Spray to inspect. They were a flash drive, a bellboy's uniform, and a pistol.

"What's on the flash drive?" Spray asked.

"Don't know… but ten to one says it's the video from the camera! This could be big, boss!" Brandon exclaimed.

"Right! We'll analyze it on the way! We've got to get this to Dusty! It could blow this whole case wide open!" Spray's ailerons twitched now, as they often did when he picked up on a big lead. He knew exactly WHY this video could be used to turn everything around… but he'd tell Dusty that when they got there. "All right let's pack it up! It's time to roll! Speedbump, you're in charge of this flash drive! DON'T let it out of your sight! We're heading back to LA! Let's roll!" Spray's contra-rotating propellers roared into life now as he planned to take to the skies for this one. They could pursue The Slasher… but he had a head start and they had wounded to attend to. Instead… racing this video to Dusty was the next best thing… for it could potentially cause The Slasher to reverse his position on everything…

Radioing in to his backup team to get after The Slasher, Spray zoomed forward and took off as his team turned on their sirens and began heading back to LA at full speed…

**Los Angeles District Court**

Adrian Taxis was on the stand now, having been brought in from the detention center. "Well Ms. Taxis! You have been summoned here because you are being accused of having planted this toy at the house of the defendant! The defense would like to know the truth regarding this matter, and if you know what this toy is!"

"Yes… of course." Adrian replied. "I did not plant this toy at Matt's house… but I can tell you it's something that Juan used to hide Celeste Carfax's will! Only he and I knew how to open it! Unfortunately… I was never able to get my wheels on the will before Juan was killed… but I can open it now!" she declared. Dusty narrowed his eyes, but allowed her to proceed.

The toy was handed over to her, and the Infiniti twisted the propeller, turned the head, pushed in the right landing gear, and rotated the tail 180 degrees to get the toy to split open along its length. Pulling the top half back, she produced a small rolled up piece of paper here, which she seemed pleased to have located.

"Well? Is it the will?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"Yes! And if you will permit me… I'd like to read it aloud." Adrian offered now. "For I feel it could provide evidence that Matt was behind the killing of Juan Cabriole!"

Dusty bit his bottom lip. If Matt was right about Celeste… that will definitely was damning towards Matt but… what could he do? Object? On what grounds? He'd have no choice… but even as Judge Spinner nodded at her to read the will, he knew he still had a card to play.

"Let it be known that this is my last will and testament. I would like to state that Matt Monarch has used me… he's made my life a living hell, and I can no longer take the heartbreak. He's separated me from my Juan, and I just can't stand it any longer. He was the one who told Juan about our previous relationship out of spite… and he's the one reason I'm no longer with Juan. All Matt ever did was use me… even up to the end. I hate him… he's a monster and I want the world to know. He's abusive, controlling, and grasping. I can not…" Adrian paused here, as it was getting hard for her to read. "I cannot go on like this… I'm tired of life… I'm tired of heartbreak… I will…"

Before she could even finish, the court erupted in boos and jeers at Matt now. The public opinion was turning against him, but Dusty knew he needed to continue stalling. Cries of "He's guilty!" and "Put that scumbag away!" rang out in the courtroom now, and Spinner struggled to bring the court under control. "Order! Order!" he shouted. "There will be order in this court!"

"I claim this will was forged!" Dusty stated now, moving out to the center of the room. "I claim it's a forgery by Ms. Taxis to paint my client in a bad light! If she knew how to open this puzzle… who's to say she didn't simply write this will and stick it in there?" Dusty asked, causing more boos and hisses and jeers out at him. "No! I'm being serious! This will could've easily been forged!" Dusty shouted.

He looked over at Blackthorn now for some backup. The Maserati took the hint, and revved his motor as he drove out to meet him. "Fine! Then let's test its authenticity! Let's call in an expert and determine the authenticity of this will! I will PROVE that the defense is futilely grasping at staws! Once this will is proven to be genuine, we WILL get a conviction for Matt Monarch!" Blackthorn proclaimed, causing the court to break out in cheers here.

"How much time NOW Mr. Blackthorn?" Judge Spinner asked, growing annoyed with all the recesses.

"I don't think any longer than 30 minutes will be needed to authenticate this will!" Blackthorn responded. Dusty knew he had a play here, as Matt had claimed the will had been destroyed… unless of course he'd been bluffing, and Blackthorn had been right all along. If Matt had handed it back off to The Slasher, then Blackthorn would be right and Dusty would lose this case… and Skipper would lose his life…

"Ugh! Very well! Let's authenticate this will, then! I order a 30 minute recess to determine if the defense's claims hold any water here! But let's make this snappy! All these delays are getting bothersome!" Spinner slapped his gavel down. "Court will reconvene in 30 minutes!"

Dusty breathed another sigh of relief here, even as his phone went off. It was Spray, and Dusty hurriedly answered. "Spray! What's going on? Did you get The Slasher?" he asked hopefully.

"Negative! He escaped!" Spray responded, his team tearing through the streets of LA now towards the courthouse. Their sirens were wailing and his ground units were blazing through traffic lights regardless if they were green or not. "But we got the recording! We're en route to the courthouse now!"

"You got the recording?" Dusty asked, feeling a massive wave of relief wash over him. "Oh thank you! THANK YOU!" he exclaimed.

"Yes! You can use this to…" But before Spray could finish that sentence, a garbage truck suddenly hurtled through the intersection they were passing and slammed into Serena's side, driving the Lamborghini towards a building with the force of the impact and causing her glass to shatter as she was shoved onto the sidewalk and into the concrete wall of the building with a sickening crunch.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Spray shouted, banking as he attempted to turn around. Even as if he did so, automatic gunfire barked out at him, bullets whizzing mere inches from his head as he executed his turn.

"Spray? SPRAY? WHAT'S GOING ON?" Dusty yelled, hearing the background noises and starting to panic.

"We're under attack! Send backup to the intersection of-" But the call went dead, and Dusty was left staring in horror at the phone. He attempted a callback, but there was no answer.

"No… NO!" Dusty exclaimed, a sinking feeling entering his stomach now as his calls went unanswered…

**The Streets of LA**

Spray could see Brandon turning around and drawing his sidearm even as The Slasher charged out from behind the garbage truck and headed right for the Ford Escape. "FBI!" Brandon yelled, but it was only a second between the drawing of his gun and the time that The Slasher was on top of him. A metal rod shot out from The Slasher's right wheel, and it was whipped with enough force across Brandon's face twice to send the SUV reeling off to his left, dazed from the blows. The rod lanced out and pierced the muzzle of the gun, ripping it out from Brandon's grasp as The Slasher brought it in for a crushing blow directly between the Ford's eyes. The Slasher struck Brandon with enough force to shatter his windshield, and the FBI agent slumped with a gasp as he lost consciousness from the strike.

"Damn!" Spray muttered, dropping his sprayer down as he went in for a spraying pass over the assassin. Linda flew over to sandwich him in, but as Spray needed to get low to the ground for his pass, it gave The Slasher an opportunity, and the Jeep leaped upwards just as Spray unleashed his payload. Within a heartbeat, The Slasher landed on top of Spray, and then leaped again, heading straight for Linda. The helicopter opened up on him with two belly mounted machine and attempted to pull up, but it was too late. The bullets pinged off his armor as The Slasher slammed headlong into her, using his reinforced bumper for maximum impact.

Linda was forced downwards from the blow and sent spinning, and The Slasher prepared himself for an exceptionally hard landing. Suddenly, a small puff of smoke blossomed from his side view mirror as a piton shot out, shattering a window on the nearby building and creating an arresting movement as the assassin slowed his descent rapidly with a whirring sound and landed back down on the pavement.

Spray meanwhile managed to douse the garbage truck with his pass as the big vehicle began hacking from the tear gas he suddenly found burning his eyes and choking his lungs. "Speedbump get back! Get back!" Spray ordered, even as The Slasher began driving towards the forklift at high speed.

Linda meanwhile proceeded to crash into the garbage truck, knocking him over onto his side and entangling the two in a grisly mess.

Over half his team had been neutralized in under five minutes, and Spray banked hard to come back around to assist Speedbump. Speedbump had almost no defenses, and he backed away even as The Slasher charged right for him. But Spray soared overhead and managed to knock his sprayer into the back end of the Jeep, causing him to careen off course as Spray came in for a hot landing, his tires screeching as he burned rubber to stop short in the street. "GET BACK!" Spray ordered his forklift, and turned around to face the assassin.

He just managed to use one of his propellers to block a blow from The Slasher's rod, the metal clanging against metal as The Slasher swung again and again. Whack! Whack! Spray used his propellers like swords as he fended off the blows, steadily backing up even as the killer advanced. "I'm taking that flash drive, Agent Kane! You wont' stop me!"

"Not on your life!" Spray grunted as he tried to trap the rod in between his two props. He managed to successfully do so, but The Slasher used it as a pivot point to throw his back end around and deliver a swift kick into Spray's side, causing him to release the rod and skid sideways. As Spray halted his sideways movement, he suddenly felt an electrical jolt passing through him as he was tasered. The Slasher had jammed it into his wing as he'd moved up beside him, and Spray cried out as he sank a bit on his landing gear, his body trying to resist but growing gradually weaker.

Even as he slumped down, the plane suddenly found a gun pointed right between his eyes as The Slasher lined up his shot, grinning triumphantly. "Say goodnight, Agent Kane!"


	25. Chapter 25: Volo Pro Veritas

**Author's Note:** And it is with great pleasure that I bring you the conclusion of part two! This fic has broken 100,000 words, and it's been a joy to write from start to this point! :D Thank you all so much, and I hope you love this finale! Next up, we'll see part three, where Dusty first gets roped into the world of art theft, and teaming up with a sleuth who is on the trail of the world's greatest art thief. But when this thief is accused of murder, Dusty must find out what's really going! The finale of part three and of this story will deal with Blade having to deal with a dark shadow of his past, while the truth of Iris will finally be revealed as well when Iris once again finds herself in the hot seat! Can Dusty use volo pro veritas to heal a tortured soul? He'll be needing helping from all of his friends, and even some of his enemies to pull this one off! Stay tuned! :D

**Back to the Story **

Spray stared straight into the gun's barrel, but despite knowing exactly what was coming next, all he could think of was doing his duty. Finishing this thing and getting that video to Dusty… Dusty and Blackthorn were counting on him… and he wasn't dying today!

Whipping around in a circle, Spray used his left wing as a weapon. Despite his weakened state, he drew on what reserves he could. He wasn't sure how he even managed to pull this off; perhaps it was his training, or his sheer will to survive and accomplish his mission, but whatever it was, his wing struck The Slasher and ended up tripping him hard. He toppled onto his side, his passenger windows cracking and his right side view mirror crunching under him as the gun sailed away from his grasp and skidded across the street. "But you should know…" Spray panted as he struggled to stand up taller now. "I never give up!"

"Then it seems we share something in common!" The Slasher responded as he too righted himself by kicking himself upwards onto all fours. But sirens could be heard approaching from all directions now. Speedbump had radioed for backup, and even The Slasher knew the longer he stayed to battle Spray, the more he risked getting caught.

Gnashing his teeth, The Slasher spat out some oil, and turned now, even as Brandon began regaining consciousness. "It appears we'll need to finish this another day!"

"No!" Spray yelled, revving up his engine now as his propellers roared into life.

"You COULD follow me Agent Kane… but what if it's a trap? You have more pressing matters to attend to right now, I think!" The Jeep burned rubber and began to speed off now, even as Brandon opened fire on him with a secondary sidearm.

Spray moved to follow, but he hesitated… what if The Slasher was right? What if it was a trap to draw him off to make Speedbump vulnerable? As much as he hated to admit it… the contract killer was right. His priority right now was delivering this flash drive! It must've been important, for The Slasher to have launched an open attack like this! "Tell the incoming teams to set up a dragnet! You all right?" Spray asked Brandon now as the Escape found his bearings.

"Yeah… damn! He's good!"

"Too good! Wounded seven agents today and killed another! But we've GOT to get this flash drive to the courthouse! It's what he was after! It's gotta be important! Linda and Serena are gonna need medivacs! I'm gonna continue on to the courthouse… Brandon, can you clean up here?" Spray asked now as he turned back in the direction they'd originally been heading.

"Yeah! I got this! Just get that evidence to the courthouse!" Brandon agreed.

"Will do! I'm NOT giving up! Speedbump, get back in the van! We're moving!" Spray moved down the street now to take off, turning his siren back on. If they were lucky… one of the teams would pick up The Slasher but… even if they didn't… this flash drive needed to be brought in! It was time to finish the mission!

**Lost Angeles District Court**

Dusty was pacing nervously back and forth behind his desk. The recess had done nothing to settle his nerves. Spray had not returned his calls, and court was about to reconvene. He could see Blackthorn approaching now, a pensive look on his face. "Blackthorn?" Dusty asked, rolling up to him.

"I just received a call… from The Slasher… he says he's going to testify via radio if we allow him to. He says he's willing to name Matt Monarch as his client!" Blackthorn stated.

"Really? But… why?" Dusty asked, surprised at this.

"I don't know… but this could be our chance." Blackthorn murmured.

"And the will?" Dusty asked.

"You'll see…" Blackthorn responded as he drove over to his bench, and Judge Spinner came out to reconvene court.

"So… what were the results of the authentication?" Spinner asked now.

"The will was… a fake!" Blackthorn announced now, causing Dusty to gasp.

"What?" He had been RIGHT? What was going on here?

"The defense was correct… the will was forged… but NOT by Adrian Taxis! Expert opinion is that it was forged by the victim, Juan Cabriole!" Murmurs and conversation broke out in the courtroom now. "But regardless of this revelation, it STILL gives Matt Monarch reason for wanting the victim dead! It gives him motive! Even if these weren't in fact Celeste's last words, the very fact that the victim was planning on reading them at a press conference would give him reason for wanting Juan Cabriole dead! Now that I've pretty much proven that the defense's theory about Adrian Taxis is false… I hereby summon a final witness to the stands… via radio! The prosecution would like to summon The Slasher to testify!" Blackthorn stated, causing gasps and questions on how this was going to be accomplished to start flying about the courtroom.

"Via radio?" Spinner asked.

"Yes… naturally he's not coming into the court. But he said he'd like to name his client! So Crophopper… if you please! Call him on the radio!" Blackthorn ordered.

Dusty set the radio down on the witness stand, and pushed the button with his wing. "Um… are you there?" he asked.

"Yes! I'm here!" came The Slasher's voice from the receiver. "Hello, all! This is the renowned assassin The Slasher speaking! And I have testimony for you! I'd like to testify about who my client is! Who hired me to kill Juan Cabriole?"

"Excellent! Please provide the name!" Blackthorn stated.

"Why of course Mr. Prosecutor… the name of my client is… Adrian Taxis!" Blackthorn, Dusty, and numerous others gasped as an uproar resounded throughout the court now.

"That's NOT what you told me you'd say!" Blackthorn snapped.

"Did I say something to you? I don't recall." The Slasher responded innocently. "But that's the name! Adrian Taxis hired me to kill Juan Cabriole! That's it! You have my client!" The Slasher proclaimed.

"Well, well! What an unexpected turn!" Judge Spinner stated with surprise. "Adrian Taxis was guilty all along! It seems this is enough to get your client acquitted, Mr. Crophopper! If so, I'll ask if the prosecution would like to dismiss its charges!"

"No! Of course not!" Blackthorn snapped. "He's lying about his client!"

"But you can you prove that, Mr. Blackthorn?" Spinner asked, narrowing his eyes. "Can you present some evidence to prove The Slasher was not hired by Ms. Taxis?"

"I…" The Slasher had done it, and Dusty knew it. It was over for Blackthorn. He had nothing to decisively prove his case anymore. He'd been played. Dusty could end the case here and now. He could get Matt acquitted… and he could save Skipper. But… to do that now… it would betray Blackthorn. Blackthorn could've gotten a guilty verdict at any time today… and he hadn't. He'd had Dusty's back… and for Dusty to take the easy way out… it would be wrong. It WOULDN'T be volo pro veritas. He couldn't betray Blackthorn like that.

"I'm sorry… Skipper…" Dusty whispered… but he knew that Skipper would forgive him for this… he knew. "I have the right to cross-examine this testimony!" Dusty spoke up now.

"What? WHY? Your client was PROVEN innocent!" Judge Spinner pointed out now. "First Blackthorn loses his mind yesterday, now you? WHAT is going on here?" Judge Spinner asked.

"I want to find out more!" Dusty stated. "Please! I have that right!" Dusty put in.

"I… suppose you do." Judge Spinner confessed. "Very well… you may cross-examine the witness." Spinner stated.

"Thank you, you honor! Now then… Mr. Slasher? You confess to killing Juan Cabriole?"

"I do…" The Slasher replied. "I killed him on the orders of Adrian Taxis. I came to his room pretending to be delivering a bottle of wine he'd requested. I proceeded to attack him after setting the bottle down on the table. The struggle was fierce, but in the end, I used his scarf to strangle him to death!"

"And… you met Adrian in person?"

"Indeed… I did…" The Slasher answered now.

"So… why did Adrian want Juan dead?" Dusty asked.

"Because of the will. He wanted to get his wheels on it to destroy it. He told me himself."

"HE?" Dusty asked now, smirking. "But… Mr. Slasher… you clearly have NOT met Adrian Taxis… because Adrian Taxis is a SHE!" Dusty shouted triumphantly now. "Granted it's a gender neutral name but… Adrian Taxis is most assuredly a she! You're lying! Furthermore… if you HAD delivered the will… which we proved WAS delivered to the client for a brief period of time… then Ms. Taxis would've destroyed it immediately since she KNEW how to open the toy! I doubt very much that you even knew who Ms. Taxis was before this!" Dusty proclaimed.

"You Mr. Crophopper are arguing the other side. I have GIVEN YOU your acquittal! My client was Adrian Taxis! Now STOP acting like an ingrate and get your acquittal! Adrian Taxis WAS my client! So I said he? So WHAT? I rarely meet my clients in person, Mr. Crophopper! You accept this… or Skipper Riley DIES RIGHT NOW!" the radio shouted. "It is YOUR choice!"

Dusty's body began to shake here as The Slasher threatened Skipper over the radio for everyone to hear. "I've given you your gift! Your FINAL gift! No more help from me! Take this and do with it what you will. Adrian Taxis was my client, I confess it! You get your acquittal or Skipper dies! What's it to be?" the radio snapped.

Dusty looked at Blackthorn now, who could only look helplessly back at Dusty. Immediately, Dusty could see it in the Maserati's eyes. He had no more plays. He was out of cards. Matt Monarch would have to go free…

"Dammit!" Dusty whispered, shaking his head.

"WELL Mr. Crophopper?" The Slasher asked again.

"I… no more questions… the defense rests." Dusty said with defeat.

"And Mr. Blackthorn? Any more questions?" Judge Spinner asked.

"No… prosecution… rests…" Blackthorn said thickly.

"Well then… it seems Adrian Taxis is the client!" Judge Spinner stated. "Mr. Crophopper… do you accept this? There's a lack of proof to discredit the testimony of The Slasher!"

"I…I do accept…"

But the doors of the courtroom crashed open with tremendous force as a revving V-12 could be heard, and Ferika von Karswerth stood at the entrance to the courtroom now. Behind her stood a tired but determined Spray Kane. "Wait! I have evidence to prove Matt Monarch's guilt!" von Karswerth cried.

"Ms. Von Karswerth? What are YOU doing here? I thought you'd been shot!" Judge Spinner exclaimed.

"I'm here to give Crophopper his first loss! The FBI has recovered three items of vital interest to this case! The first is a pistol left behind by The Slasher! While we haven't had time to run ballistics on it yet, I'm willing to bet that this pistol will match the ballistics of the bullet they extracted from my body… which of course I've kept as a memento! Second! A flash drive containing a video file! We have not studied it yet, but we have strong suspicions of its contents! We believe it shows The Slasher committing his crime of murder! Finally, a bellboy's uniform! It's been carefully tailored to hide various parts of a car's body, and we feel it's what The Slasher used that night at the Imperial Hotel!" von Karswerth declared. Dusty looked behind the Maybach to see Spray smiling and giving Dusty a wink.

Dusty returned the smile, and waited to hear what Judge Spinner had to say. "Well…" the Escalade began. "I can see you've brought evidence but… does it any have any direct RELEVANCE to Matt Monarch? He's the one on trial here… not The Slasher! While all this evidence seems to directly point to The Slasher's guilt… anything for Matt Monarch, the defendant?"

"Erm… admittedly no, your honor." Von Karswerth confessed here. "But surely you can use one of these items in this case!" she stammered.

"I'm afraid I can't accept ANY of this evidence unless it directly relates to the defendant!" Spinner stated here. "It's not admissible as evidence unless it relates to the defendant's trial to prove or disprove his guilt!" the judge pointed out.

"But-!"

"But nothing, Ms. Von Karswerth! This isn't admissible evidence! If there's nothing further… I'll have no choice but to press the prosecution to dismiss its charges against Mr. Monarch!" Spinner insisted.

"Dusty!" Spray had moved up to the firefighter now. "I brought you this video because I feel there's only two ways to win this case! You get Matt to WANT a guilty verdict… which you can't do right now… OR… get The Slasher to break his contract! Think… what do you know about The Slasher? What does he pride himself on?" Spray pressed.

"Uhh… his honor… his services…"

"And if his client recorded him on video committing his murder?" Spray asked now.

"Of COURSE! Wait!" Dusty rolled out now. "I wish to show another piece of evidence… but not to the court! To the witness! Mr. Slasher!" Dusty declared now.

"What? To the witness?" Spinner asked, confused.

"Yes! Mr. Slasher… that video on the flash drive… do you know what it contains?" Dusty asked now.

"… I do not." The Slasher responded after a moment's hesitation. "I was ordered to retrieve it from a computer in the hotel but not to watch it by my client. What are you insinuating?" the killer asked now.

"I'm insinuating that your client is a paranoid hack who didn't trust anyone… not even you! Tell me! Did he designate a time and place for you to murder Juan Cabriole?" Dusty asked.

"He did…" The Slasher confirmed.

"Do you usually get such requests, or is at your discretion how you usually kill your targets?" Dusty continued.

"It's… usually at my discretion." The killer confessed.

"Well then! I argue that your client used you! He set a specific time and place so he could catch you on film! He didn't trust you! So as insurance, he recorded you committing your murder! Did you not just attack several FBI agents trying to retrieve this flash drive?" Dusty asked.

"I did." The Slasher confirmed. "I was ordered to retrieve it by my client."

"I see! But your client recorded you because he DIDN'T trust you! He paid you a million but it STILL wasn't enough. This video records your hit! If we play it now… what do you think we'll see?" Dusty asked. "You committing murder! You being identified and caught on tape!"

"Is this true?" The Slasher asked now.

"Yes! Your client has broken your trust! A trust you place highly between yourself and your clients! He's betrayed you! He might've even been looking to blackmail you at some point!" Dusty insisted.

"I can't believe this… my own client… recording me? This is a CLEAR breach of my contract! I ask only that I be permitted to do my thing free and clear of ANY interference, spying, or lack of trust from my clients! I fight for them, as you can clearly see. But if this is the case… and my client has truly betrayed me… then I hereby break my contract with my client!" The Slasher announced. "Skipper Riley will be returned to you safe and sound… I will let Agent Kane know where he can be located. He's of no more use to me… and it seems I have a NEW target, Mr. Crophopper. My client must be killed for this breach of trust." The Slasher declared.

"NOOOOO!" Matt shrieked now, causing everyone to look at him. "Oh god… NO!" he yelled. "Crophopper! You gotta protect me! PLEASE! I won't be safe from him! NEVER!"

Dusty was smirking now at Matt's tirade, but knew justice was about to be served. "I'm sorry Matt… I don't think I CAN protect you! I mean The Slasher? Really? Hoo! That's… that's rough." Dusty replied smugly here. "If you walk outta here innocent… not even the best bodyguards on the planet are gonna keep you safe! I mean sheesh! The world's greatest assassin…"

"STOP!" Matt pleaded, rolling forward now. "I CONFESS! I CONFESS! I'm guilty! I hired The Slasher to kill Juan! Throw me into freakin' jail! Throw away the key! No WAIT! Throw me into a federal penitentiary! Even better! The most maximum security federal penitentiary you have! I NEVER want to see the light of day again! You got it? NEVER! Keep me safe! I'm GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!" he shouted, almost hysterically as a crazed looked entered his face now.

"Er… well then… it seems I have no choice! Bailiff! Take this plane away!" Spinner ordered, slapping his gavel down.

"Yes! Take me away! FAR AWAY! Don't tell where you're taking me! Just… protect me! I'm guilty! GUILTY! HAHAHAHAH!" he was on the verge of babbling now, cackling as he the bailiff led him off. "Just DON'T LET HIM NEAR ME!"

"YES!" Dusty exclaimed, grinning wildly even as Spray received a text message with the exact location of Skipper.

"Dusty… we've got him. I'm gonna bring him back to you personally." Spray smiled here.

"Spray! Thank you SO much! You did it!" Dusty continued grinning.

"No… you and Blackthorn did it… you were a team… you worked to get the truth… I just provided the final piece of the puzzle. It was you two all the way." Spray smiled in response. "Now if you'll excuse me… I have a Corsair to pick up."

"Yes! Yes of course! Bring him back! Thank you! Thank you!" Dusty exclaimed, even as Adrian Taxis rolled up to him now. "Oh! Ms. Taxis! You're innocent!"

"Yes but… I intend to pay for my crime of doctoring the scene. When Blackthorn forced me to testify yesterday…. I thought my life was over… I hated Matt AND Juan for destroying Celeste's life the way they did… they used and abused her over their stupid and petty rivalry… but… seeing how both you AND Blackthorn fought to get Matt convicted… it… it showed me there's still hope in this world. It showed me that there's still good planes and cars out there… that I need to stand up and be my OWN car. You two showed me that… so thank you." Adrian stated, smiling warmly at Dusty here, who blinked away some tears.

"Hey… it's what volo pro veritas means. And don't you worry… I'm gonna ask Judge Spinner to show you leniency… you KNEW what Matt had done… and even though what you did was wrong… I understand why you did it. If it hadn't been for you… this murder NEVER would've been solved! The police would've found The Slasher's card… and it would've been another unsolved hit. But you framed Matt and got him into court in the first place… and that allowed me and Blackthorn to get to the bottom of this. So if anyone deserves leniency… it's you." Dusty replied with a big smile.

"Thank you… Mr. Crophopper. I hope to see you when I'm a free car." She replied, and gave him a nod before driving off.

"I can't believe this!" von Karswerth spat as she motored up to Dusty next. "You're HAPPY? You just LOST Crophopper! You were DEFEATED! How come you're not… infuriated? Miserable? Abject? What's WRONG with you?"

"Ferika…" Dusty smiled at her here. "I lost this case but… I won everything else! The right plane is going to jail… I've got my best friend back… and Skipper is safe."

"I don't believe this! You're pathetic, you know that?" she snapped, but he only smiled in return.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better." He told her, causing her to merely blink in confusion.

"Crophopper… well done." Blackthorn was beside von Karswerth now, smiling. "You've rediscovered what you showed me last year… and what I wanted to show you. Do you know WHY I vanished, Crophopper? You think I ran away but… I'll tell you. Back before you came into my life… or reentered my life I should say… I fought for nothing but my record. I used every dirty trick in the book. And because of that… my record was spotless. But… suddenly… a plane appeared and stood fast against that selfish car I'd become. I fought him in my usual manner… and tasted my first defeat. I felt like I had lost everything because of that… and then… it was my turn to become a defendant. I was accused of murder… and I was saved… by that plane. That plane I had called my 'enemy.' I couldn't forgive myself for all that happened… so I left… I left my position as a prosecutor… and I left behind that note… because I couldn't forgive MYSELF Crophopper. It had nothing to do with my personal record or my perfection being ruined… I left that note and I vanished… because I knew just what kind of car I had become… but I didn't know what kind of car I wanted to be yet… so that's why I left." Blackthorn explained.

Dusty continued smiling, but let Blackthorn continue. "As I traveled and thought about it, I realized one thing: that plane never gave up. He had UNDYING faith… and then… before I knew it… I began to trust that plane myself. Trust in his faith… trust in volo pro veritas. I realized that no matter what dirty and underhanded trick someone could use… the truth is the truth… it ALWAYS finds a way to come to the surface… and before long… I knew what it was I had to do." Blackthorn noticed Dusty was still smiling, but tears were rolling down his face as well. But these were not tears of despair or sorrow… they were tears of joy. "When I heard how depressed you'd become… I knew the time to return was now. And… I'm glad we did this, you and I. WE found the truth… together."

Dusty sniffed here. "I'm… I'm glad you're back… Simon."

Blackthorn smiled, and gave a single nod. Von Karswerth though seemed in a state of disbelief. "I… I don't believe this! What… what foolish nonsense! I don't want to hear the whimperings of a disgraced loser!" She was trying to keep it together here now it seemed. "You… a von Karswerth is destined for greatness! You are no longer worthy of the name! And… and…." She sniffed here. "And neither am I! It's all over!" She turned, and drove off now, leaving the two behind.

Dusty watched her go, and felt a pang of regret, but didn't want to let this dampen his evening too much. "Hey! Let's uh… let's go out and celebrate! Dinner! A big group dinner!" Dusty grinned now. "A welcome back Skipper dinner!"

"That… is something I can get behind." Blackthorn nodded here with a smile.

"Great! Then let's go!" Dusty exclaimed.

**Fancy Restaurant**

As the Maserati and firefighting plane stood around their table at a fancy restaurant downtown, Blackthorn nodded in the direction of the entrance as a familiar Corsair entered beside Spray. "SKIPPER!" Dusty exclaimed, beaming as he went over to greet him now. The Corsair offered him a smile.

"Well hello, stranger. It's good to see you again."

"How do you feel? You weren't hurt too badly, were you?" Dusty asked with concern.

"Not too bad… but I'm glad you did what was right… I knew you would. Volo pro veritas." Skipper said with finality.

"Volo pro veritas, Skip." Dusty replied warmly.

"Let's eat! I'm starving! Haven't eaten since well… I was taken." Skipper confessed.

"Then let's go!" Dusty agreed.

"Told you I'd bring him back." Spray winked here.

"Yes… you did. Thank you Spray… for everything." Dusty replied.

"It's my job." Spray answered modestly.

"Spray…" Dusty spoke as they moved over to the table now. "You mentioned something about coming from a different place… and that this world still has hope. You meant you found something likeable about this world?"

"I meant… yes take it that way if you will." Spray confirmed here, but something about his answer was rather cryptic. Dusty regarded Spray curiously, but decided to let it slide.

"How is your team?" he asked as they took their positions around the table.

"They'll be fine. Wounded but… they'll make it." Spray acknowledged.

"And… The Slasher?" Dusty asked.

"Got away… but don't worry… we'll get him… eventually. Of that… I have NO doubt." Spray replied confidently.

"Great! So… who's paying?" Dusty asked, and as one, every vehicle turned to look at him now with a smirk. "ME?" Dusty asked, surprised. "Uh… OBJECTION!" he yelled, causing the others to laugh here.

"Of course not, Crophopper! It'll be a group effort… but I think we'll be buying Skipper's dinner! He's earned it!" Blackthorn suggested now.

"Now THAT I can get behind!" Dusty agreed. "Done deal!"

**LAX**

At the airport, Ferika von Karswerth stood by her gate, waiting for her flight. Her face was drawn into a slight frown, and her eyes were empty as numerous cars passed by her, coming and going from their flights. "Are you running away?" She turned to face the voice, knowing who it was.

Blackthorn stood behind her, looking at her impassively. "You don't KNOW what it's like to be in my position! My father had a perfect record… and I had to live up to it! I failed! I was forced to live up to his name… even though I knew I couldn't."

"You're still a prosecutor, Ferika… even if you don't want to be. Look… prosecutors fight for truth… just like defense attorneys. THAT'S what matters the most in a trial. Not your record… not your prosecution… but truth. I hope you saw that… and will keep that in mind in the future." Blackthorn told her.

"Heh… you haven't changed, Simon. I always hated that about you… always running off… doing your own thing… leaving me behind. THAT'S why I wanted to beat Crophopper! If I could beat the ONE plane you had failed to bring down… I would finally be better than you. It was for revenge on you! But… I can't… change what I am… how I act…" she confessed now, closing her eyes sadly.

"Yes… you can. ANYONE can change, Ferika. Look at Ms. Taxis… she's going to better herself because she WANTS to make a difference. But if you're going to simply give up… run away… then I won't wait for you… you're the one who needs to keep up. I am going to continue to learn what it means to be a prosecutor… but I won't wait for you if you give up." He warned her here.

"I… I…" she sniffed here, trying to hold back her tears. "I won't live in your shadow forever! I WILL better myself! I'll come back… and I'll prove I can beat you!"

"It's a start." He smirked. "You're going back to Germany?" he asked.

"Yes… but I'll be back! Count on it!" she said with determination, as her flight was announced to be boarding.

Nodding at her, Blackthorn watched as she headed for the gate. Maybe she'd learn… but he knew she'd be back. He felt certain of that. This might the start of her own revelations… but one thing was for certain: Simon Blackthorn was back, and he looked forward to any future adventures he'd face with his best friend, Dusty Crophopper.


	26. Chapter 26: The Theft

**Author's Note: **OK so I'm back for part 3, the finale of this story! Two cases as usual, and I'll be taking a road trip on Monday, so posting will pretty much be non-existent while I'm on vacation. I'll be back the 30th though! Anyway, for those who haven't read Pushed to the Limit, my Miles Axlerod fic, that fic explains how he turned himself around and is in the position he is now in this arc. So yeah! I bring you part three! :D

**Back to the Story**

The floodlights bathed the blue cloth in their golden light, the beams shining down from the ceiling and partly playing off the green metal flake paint of Miles Axlerod as he stood before the gathered assemblage, who were eagerly looking on. While Axlerod was no longer a knight due to his having been jailed in the aftermath of the Allinol scandal, he'd subsequently escaped from prison over a year ago but had turned himself around and had been sentenced to five years of community service instead. The Range Rover billionaire also had to give up most of his fortune to charitable organizations, which he had, and tonight was one example of his giving back to the world.

Grinning as he stood in the center of a giant department store in Los Angeles, Axlerod noticed his good friend Dusty Crophopper present in the crowd. He'd invited the firefighter down from Propwash Junction, as that's where he was currently residing himself for his community service. "Ladies and gentlecars! Thank you for being here tonight for the unveiling of one of my own prized possessions from my private collection which I shall be showcasing to the world! I, Miles Axlerod, am donating a valuable vase from the Song Dynasty to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art… but first, I am showcasing it here for a select audience to preview before it goes into its more permanent home! Ladies and gentlecars… I give you the Song Dynasty vase!" As Miles proclaimed the words, the blue cover fell to the floor and the exquisite green vase was visible for the gasping and awing crowd as flashes lit up the room as numerous cameras went off. The vase had been carved out of jade, and numerous figures circles its neck depicting the stages of life. The vase itself was a funerary one, but its handiwork was such that it was truly a beautiful piece of art.

Dusty patiently waited his turn to get towards the front to view it, and marveled at the sublime design from close up and just behind the display case. "Wow! Miles this is brilliant! Beautiful! I'm glad you're doing this!"

The Range Rover continued smiling as his friend gazed at the piece behind the glass. "I'm glad you like it! It should be everyone's to see!"

"I have to say, Miles… I'm really pleased with how you've turned your life around since your re-sentencing. You've made your new life work out pretty well I'd say!" Dusty complimented the Range Rover.

"I have, haven't I?" Miles beamed. "I'm counting down the days till I can become an air crash investigator and join my wife out in the field!"

"Yeah… I'm sure she's looking forward to that." Dusty responded with a smile of his own. "Anyway, well done on the donation! Thanks for the invite! I really appreciate this opportunity to see your latest philanthropic effort!"

"My pleasure! You're really one of the first planes I think of when doing something like this! So anytime! Now go and help yourself to a cocktail or something! This party's just beginning!" Miles declared happily, moving aside to let Dusty pass by him.

Slowly but surely, Miles was receiving more and more positive press these days, and this latest was making the former oil billionaire appear as if his rehabilitation was going well, which as far as Dusty was concerned it was. Music started pumping out of some speakers as the reception got into full swing and Axlerod's vase was shown off to his gathered guests and the press reported on the evening's affairs.

Dusty spent most of the reception chatting with Miles, commenting on some of the guests present, and generally enjoying himself before moving off to his hotel for the night. He planned to fly back to Propwash Junction tomorrow, but he didn't know that his stay here in LA would be somewhat extended… nor did he realize just yet the implications of what lay ahead…

**The Next Morning**

A ringing pierced Dusty's dream and jolted him into reality. Groaning groggily, he stirred as the ring sounded once again. "Ohhhhh…" opening his eyes and blinking as he could barely see anything thanks to the blinds draped over his hotel windows, he fumbled around as the phone rang again, the plane searching for the pedal to pick up.

Finally managing to get his wheel onto the pedal, he yawned as he answered the phone. "Hello?" he asked wearily.

"Dusty! Are you awake?" It was Axlerod's voice, and it sounded frantic.

"Miles?" Dusty asked thickly. "What's up?"

"It's terrible! You should come down to Beverly Center right away! My vase! It's been stolen!"

"Beverly Center?" Dusty asked, not fully processing this just yet. That was the large mall the reception had been held at last night.

"Yes! The vase I was showcasing… it's been stolen! The FBI is here! They're saying it's the work of the infamous art thief, the Crimson Mask! Please you've got to come down here right away! I'm in an absolute panic right now!" Axlerod insisted.

"Oh! OH!" Dusty came fully awake now, blinking rapidly several times. "OK! I'll be right there!" he stated, realizing the gravity of the situation now, and only hoping the FBI had some leads… speaking of FBI, he was reminded of Spray, and wondered if the plane would be working this case…

**Beverly Center**

Miles Axlerod appeared on the verge of a breakdown as Dusty arrived at Beverly Center. "Oh Dusty! You're here! This is just dreadful! I don't now what I'm going to do! The vase! Gone! Can you believe this?" the Range Rover stuttered.

"Well does the FBI have any leads?" Dusty asked. "You mentioned it's the work of the Crimson Mask? Who is that?"

"Infamous art thief." Dusty brightened upon seeing the speaker revealed as FBI agent Spray Kane.

"Spray!" Dusty exclaimed, grinning. "You working this case?"

"Yep… good to see you again, Dusty. The Crimson Mask is like a ghost… bypasses the best security, slips in unseen, leaves no trace save for his calling card, and vanishes just as quickly. This marks his fifth heist overall… all very high profile so far, which is why this one's a little strange. It's not that high profile at all. There was only a single guard last night that Mr. Axlerod had hired personally to provide security." Spray explained.

"Who was that?" Dusty asked.

"Famous detective Luke Clutchly. He's been after the Crimson Mask ever since his first heist, and even managed to return the most recent stolen object to its rightful owners. He claims he was attacked from behind last night and knocked unconscious. We're still looking into it though." Spray informed Dusty.

"Hmm… any leads?" Dusty asked.

"None so far… Clutchly's in the basement, where the vase was stored last night." Spray explained. "We're working a few angles though"

"Hmm…" Dusty trailed off here thoughtfully.

"Oh Dusty! This is terrible! I'll get nothing but bad press over this! Already some are claiming I arranged the heist but I swear to you… I didn't do this!" Miles pleadingly interrupted Dusty's thoughts. "We need to get that vase back! I hired Clutchly because no one knows the Mask like Clutchly does! I was desperate!"

"Hey, Miles, Miles!" Dusty interjected. "Hold up! I know you didn't do this! There are far EASIER ways for you to take revenge on the world, after all! Don't worry! This isn't you! I know it's not! Don't worry! I'm gonna help you out any way I can!" Dusty insisted.

"Oh thank you, Dusty! Thank you!" the grateful Range Rover sighed in relief. "I knew I could rely on you!"

"Of course… that's what friends are for!" Dusty smiled, giving Axlerod a nod. "Anyway… I'm gonna head to the basement and speak with Clutchly, if that's OK, Spray."

"Fine by me. I could use the extra help here." The FBI plane acknowledged.

"Right! Well I'm gonna head down there and speak to him… see what I can learn." Dusty nodded at the two of them as he began heading for the basement, following the FBI agents who were scattered from here to the underground areas of the shopping mall. Rolling by them, he nodded every so often as he passed them by.

The corridors down here were in stark contrast to where the rich shopped for whatever took their fancy up above. It was all concrete and pipes down here, causing Dusty to feel as if he were trespassing, even though he knew he wasn't.

Reaching an area that was clearly a crime scene with all the tape and agents guarding it, Dusty rolled on into a storage room and came face to face with a black and elegant looking Rolls Royce. "You Clutchly?" the firefighter asked.

"Indeed, good sir! I am he! Luke Clutchly, world famous detective and arch-nemesis of the Crimson Mask!" the Rolls Royce declared extravagantly. "I have hounded this demon since his first theft, and I am indeed getting better at tracking him! Why during his last heist, I actually managed to recover the stolen object in question and returned it to the museum it was stolen from, and I received this little beauty in thanks!" Luke showed off a sparkling ruby sitting just above his right headlight. "But he's a crafty devil, he is!"

"Uh… OK…" Dusty stared at the ruby as it glittered before he looked back at the detective. "So… what happened here last night?"

"And who are you, sir?" Luke asked.

"Oh! Right! I'm Dusty! Dusty Crophopper! I'm assisting on this case!" Dusty introduced himself.

"Assisting as a firefighter? Most curious! Well! Are you an ace at what you do?" Luke asked.

"I uh… well… I guess you could say that." Dusty agreed.

"Ha! Say it loud, say it proud! You're an ACE at what you do!" Luke stated. "Anyway… from one ace to another… I was contacted by Mr. Axlerod 20 days ago to help guard his vase. 10 days ago we received a message from the thief himself claiming he intended to strike! This is typical of him… he always tries to 'challenge' security by sending advance notice to them. Arrogant car, he is!" Luke declared, but Dusty had to figure this was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. "So anyway! I stood guard that night… but he managed to foil me and got me from behind! Sadly I was no match for him… but I'll track him down! I feel confident this time that not only will I catch him… but the artifact will be safely returned as well!" Luke proclaimed.

"Hm… I see… any evidence we have here?" Dusty asked now.

"Well the security camera DID manage to snap one photo last night! We think it's of the fiend himself! Look around! See what you can find! I've already found everything relevant I need to begin my hunt! Good luck to you! Let's run this fiend to ground!" Luke grinned now, and drove off, leaving Dusty to his own devices.

Looking around now, Dusty could see there was a ceremonial sword down here, but it was bent badly, as if had struck something. Was that what the thief had used to knocked Luke unconscious? There was a large pink stain on the floor too, and Dusty briefly touched it with his tire and felt it was probably paint. Other than that though… he didn't see much of interest.

"Ahem." Looking up, Dusty could see Brandon Escapa, the black Ford Escape he'd met on the last case standing in the doorway of the storage room. "Hey Crophopper! Spray needs you! He's saying he's arrested the Crimson Mask!"

"What?" Dusty exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Seems he's turned himself in… of all things."

"WHAT?" Dusty exclaimed a second time.

"Yeah… you need to come up and see for yourself." Brandon nodded in the direction of the hall again, and Dusty moved to follow after the agent, wondering what this was all about. As they entered the mall proper once more, Dusty could see Axlerod yelling at a meek looking Chrysler 300.

"Where is my vase? I demand you return it you blackguard! How dare you steal something so precious!" Miles actually lightly slapped the Chrysler with his wheel now, scowling.

"I… I can't!" the Chrysler responded. "I lost it! I'm sorry! I don't know where it is!"

"You LOST it? How do LOSE a precious vase a thousand years old? What kind of thief are you?" Miles demanded angrily.

Dusty grimaced, and rolled over to Spray. "What's going on?"

"Hell if I know." Spray answered. "This car, Ron Prowler, claims he's the Crimson Mask, and asked to be arrested. He just showed up a few minutes ago, practically begging us to arrest him."

"Uh… why?" Dusty asked.

"Beats the hell out of me… but he's got intimate knowledge of some of the robberies… knowledge your average car wouldn't know about those thefts. However he claims he has no idea where the vase is! So I don't know! It's confusing as hell! We need to question him further."

"No! No!" A female Plymouth Prowler drove up to the two now. "My husband is NOT the Crimson Mask! He's a rabid fan… sure! But the Crimson Mask? Absolutely not! He doesn't know what he's doing! I mean look… he worships the Crimson Mask OK? Has dozens of photos… hell he's a stalker even, but he's NOT a thief! He's a security guard! A boring, run of the mill security guard! He didn't do this! Wait! You're that famous lawyer!" Her eyes brightened upon seeing Dusty now. "Yeah! The one who defends the innocent! Please! You HAVE to defend my husband! He deserves to be tried for this if he's being arrested!"

"No! Desi! I confess! I want to go to jail!" Ron replied, overhearing his wife.

"Ron! Stop it! I'm getting you a lawyer here! You at least need a trial! Please, Mr. Crophopper! I've watched your cases… please defend my husband! He's NOT the Crimson Mask!" the Plymouth pleaded.

"Uh… well if he's confessing…"

"No! Ron! Dammit! Accept his help! You at least deserve a trial!" his wife turned to look at Ron pleadingly now. "It'll prove it! It'll prove that you aren't the Crimson Mask!"

"But Desi…"

"NO BUTS!" his wife yelled. "Do this! I'm not gonna watch you go to jail for this! Accept his help!"

"Dusty! No! You can't defend him! He's the Crimson Mask! He admitted it!" Miles broke in, looking desperately at Dusty now.

"Well…" Dusty studied Ron now, and then his wife, who also looked at him pleadingly.

"Mr. Crophopper please! I don't know WHY my husband is confessing to this… but he's not the Crimson Mask! I know him! Please! Help him!"

"All right…" Ron spoke up now, more softly this time. "Yeah… I'll accept his help."

Dusty locked eyes with Ron, and could see… consternation deep within them. Something was wrong here… Dusty wasn't sure just what but… there was more to Ron than met the eye… but maybe not in the way he was confessing to. He was hiding something though… that was for sure. "Everyone deserves a fair trial." Dusty responded now, causing Miles to gawk at him.

"WHAT? But he's the Crimson Mask!" Axlerod stated in a choked voice.

"We don't know that! It hasn't been proven yet! He deserves a fair trial… just like everyone! I'll do it… I'll defend him." Dusty nodded now. "Ron… you don't have the vase?"

"I… don't…" Ron confessed now.

"Did you search his place?" Dusty asked Spray now.

"We're carrying out a search this instant… from what we can tell… he's a fan all right. It's a little weird over there but… so far, no solid evidence against him just yet." Spray informed Dusty.

"Mmm… then I don't believe he's the thief!" Dusty declared.

"Should wait till we finish the sweep but yeah… certainly seems odd he'd just confess like this. I mean guilty conscience? Give me a break." Spray rolled his eyes. "Still… he DID have knowledge we had to arrest him on so… unfortunately he's got to have a trial now if he requests one."

"I guess so…" Ron said softly, seeming to be quite the polar opposite of his wife. "But I am guilty…" he said quietly.

Suddenly, a familiar Chevy Camaro roared into the mall, huffing and out of breath as he began driving towards Ron now. "Aha! I knew it! There you are! I've been chasing you down all over town, Ron! Here! Your wallet! You dropped it last night at work!" Larry Fenders was out of breath, but he managed to flip Ron's wallet over to him using his door. "Hoo! What were you in such a hurry for? Oh… the FBI? Hey! It's Duster!" Larry exclaimed, grinning as he saw Dusty present.

"Wait Larry… what are you doing here?" Dusty asked.

"Heh! Just returning Ron's wallet to him! We work together now! He works as a security guard at Altmore Security… like me! But he dropped his wallet last night! So I'm returning it to him!" Larry explained.

"Wait, wait, wait! His wallet? He was at work last night?" Dusty asked now.

"Well I… didn't actually see him there but I found his wallet on the ground so… he had to be there!" Larry pointed out.

"Uh… but if he was there… that means he couldn't be carrying out the theft!" Dusty stated now.

"Theft? Huh?" Larry asked.

"Hey does uh… does Ron have a card or anything there? Something he swipes to prove he was at work?" Dusty asked.

"Yeah! We all got cards for work! His was in the wallet!" Larry explained.

"Hmmm… this could prove his innocence!" Dusty declared.

Spray spoke up now, as he got word back from the team sweeping Ron's house. "All right… so they found no evidence of the vase there… but they did find a strange note… it said to 'Come to Altmore Security at 1 AM if you don't want the world to know your secret. Bring $50,000.'" Spray explained.

"Huh? What secret?" Dusty asked, confused. "This is confusing now!"

"The secret that I'm the Crimson Mask…" Ron spoke up softly again, looking down.

"Yeah but… if you were at work… you couldn't have been stealing the vase! Larry, how far is work from here?" Dusty asked.

"Oh it's 30 minutes… without traffic." Larry stated. "But you know LA…"

"Yeah… I do know LA… what time did the theft occur?" Dusty asked now.

"Well Clutchly claimed he was knocked out shortly before 1 AM." Spray answered.

"1 AM! So if Ron was at work… he couldn't have been here!" Dusty replied.

"So what's that note all about?" Spray asked. "The world to know your secret? What the hell? Sounds like someone trying to blackmail him." Spray stated.

"I haven't the foggiest idea…" Dusty admitted. "Seems like multiple things are going on here at once."

"Anyway, if he's requesting you to defend him, this case will go to trial." Spray informed everyone. "I'm curious about getting to the bottom of this too myself. Seeing if Ron Prowler here is the Crimson Mask and if not… why is he confessing?"

"Mmm perhaps he is simply deluded! I have to say… I don't believe this to be my nemesis!" Luke Clutchly was back now, carrying a duffel bag inside him on his rear passenger seat, which Dusty was positive was not there before. He was smirking at Ron, but gave off a few tsks. "I don't believe it! But even if he IS the Crimson Mask… why doesn't he have the vase?" Luke inquired.

"Good question…" Dusty said, trailing off here. "I don't believe he's guilty, for one."

"Neither do I… but anyway… it seems YOU are defending him, are you not?" Luke asked now, smirking again at Dusty.

"Yeah… I think I'm going to." Dusty nodded.

"Well good luck! You'll be facing a new and rising star! I just heard from the prosecutor's office! Undefeated prosecutor Kez will be taking this case! Of course… he's undefeated because he hasn't actually prosecuted a case yet, heheh!" Luke declared, grinning here.

"Seriously?" Dusty asked, rolling his eyes. "What kind of name is Kez anyway?"

"A good question! And one in which I wish I could answer! He's mysterious! He's come out of nowhere and passed his bar exam with flying colors! But nobody knows who he is! It's strange, you know! Just shows up one day as a prosecutor! Go figure!" Luke shook his head here.

"Well whatever. Undefeated because he's never prosecuted before… sounds rather conceited, wouldn't you say?" Dusty asked.

"Perhaps! But who knows? I just know if you're defending this car, then Kez shall be your opponent!" Luke declared. "Anyway! I must be off! The REAL Crimson Mask is out there somewhere… and I shall find him! Tata for now!" Driving past everyone, Luke headed for the mall's exit.

"You know anything about this Kez?" Dusty asked Spray.

"Negative… first I've heard of him. Your guess is as good as mine, Dusty." Spray shrugged his ailerons here.

"Dusty! Are you sure about this?" Axlerod asked now. "Are you POSITIVE this car didn't steal my vase?"

"Well not… POSITIVE but… that's what I'm going to find out! Volo pro veritas after all! We shall see in court!" Dusty smiled.

"Yes, yes, yes but… oh! All this negative press! I do hope the vase is returned soon… I could be sunk, otherwise!" Miles moaned.

"Don't worry, Miles! We'll figure this out! We'll get your vase back AND solve this mystery! Promise!" Dusty smiled at his friend here.

"Thank you! I will repay you of course!" Miles exclaimed.

"No, no, not necessary. I'm going to go in there tomorrow, and drag the truth out of the trial! It's hiding somewhere… and I'm going to find it!"

"Capital! I'm glad I have someone like YOU supporting me!" Miles confessed.

"It's about time I repaid you for turning yourself around and proving yourself… anyway, let's go out for some lunch! I'm starved! We can talk case details over some food!" Dusty suggested.

"Sounds good to me!" Spray agreed. "I think we've found out everything we can here, so I'm down for some food."

"I'll treat!" Miles offered here. "I'm the one most capable of affording it, AND I need to repay you! I insist! Lunch is on me!"

"Deal! Let's grab some food, go over what we know, and prepare for tomorrow!" Dusty confirmed. He looked at Mrs. Prowler now as the other two headed for the door. "Don't worry, Mrs. Prowler. I'll find out what's REALLY going on with your husband and try and solve this thing!" He gave her a grin and rolled after his friends to join them for lunch, though he had to admit… there were many confusing angles here… but he knew the truth would come out… it had to. Volo pro veritas after all…


	27. Chapter 27: Out of the Frying Pan

**Author's Note:** This MIGHT be my last chapter before my road trip! Hope you enjoy it, and I'll see what I can write tomorrow before I leave Monday! If I do leave before posting, I'll be back on the 30th!

**Back to the Story**

The Los Angeles District Court was all abuzz over the upcoming trial of the Crimson Mask. The press was here to diligently record the trial, and Dusty had a tough time even reaching his new client as he was being mobbed by reporters. "Ron! Ron! You ready?" Ron's wife Desiree was next to him, as usual. The Chrysler looked down and shook his head a bit.

"But… I'm guilty… I'm guilty! Why can't I just confess?" Ron asked desperately.

"Because that's crazy! Why do you want to confess?" Dusty asked. "You don't even possess the vase! You couldn't have stolen it!"

"Yeah well… I just… want to confess, that's all!" Ron declared.

"Oh Ron, stop! You didn't do this! The FBI searched our home thoroughly! They found no trace of the vase! This is ridiculous! Mr. Crophopper will get you off the hook and you'll be free and clear!" Desiree protested.

"Yeah! That's right! Anyway let's get in there! The trial's about to start!" Dusty pointed out. It was time to go meet Kez, this "undefeated" prosecutor. Either way, Dusty figured he wasn't going to be impressed.

As they all entered the courtroom, Dusty took a look at the prosecutor's bench, and saw a smaller helicopter standing there. He was painted beige and green, and turned to regard Dusty as he got closer. But Dusty halted in his tracks as instead of eyes gazing at him, a glowing red visor met his vision. The visor completely obscured the helicopter's eyes, and Dusty found himself staring into the red band, wondering just who this was. He looked vaguely familiar but… this model helicopter was fairly common in the world.

The chopper gave him an eerie smirk, and Dusty finally managed to shake himself out of his stupor and continue rolling towards his own bench. This was Kez? Dusty could feel the visor on him as he rolled, and tried hard not to look at it.

Judge Spinner was the presiding judge in this trial, and Dusty tried to focus on the black Escalade for now as opposed to the prosecutor who was still staring at him. "Ahem… well, well, well… Crophopper's back!" Spinner exclaimed. "Defending another client it seems." The Cadillac commented, bringing the court to session. "So your opening statement please, Mr. Kez!"

Kez sneered, and was still glaring at Dusty. "Hmph! Opening statement? Very well! Are you ready for this, Jerkhopper?" Kez asked, causing Dusty to recoil a bit.

"Jerkhopper? I'm sorry… do I know you?" Dusty asked, confused.

"Oh I think you do… I've waited a long time for this… I've come back from hell to face you in court and destroy you with the whole world watching! And now that they are… I'll prove you to be the conceited, trite plane that you hide under that exterior of yours!" Kez snapped.

"Uh… I'm sorry… what are you talking about?" Dusty asked.

"Of course you wouldn't know! You're so self-absorbed it doesn't surprise me in the slightest! Let's get this underway… shall we? Your client is the Crimson Mask… I'll prove it to the court… and unmask you for what you are!" Kez declared. "I summon my first witness… FBI agent Spray Kane!"

"Uhh… what kind of opening statement was that? Do you and Mr. Crophopper have some kind of past Mr. Kez?" Spinner asked, confused.

"I already summoned my witness! I expect this trial to proceed smoothly." Kez responded confidently, brushing off the judge's question and leaving Spinner staring with confusion over the proceedings. Spray approached the witness stand now, appearing calm and collected like he usually was. "Agent Kane… please testify to the court about the crime two nights ago… we're eager to hear it!"

Dusty narrowed his eyes as Kez spoke. His voice… he'd heard it somewhere before… but where? Spray glanced at Dusty, then began his testimony. "Right… so the theft took place around 1 AM last night. This crime was a bit unusual, since the Crimson Mask usually goes after very high profile objects, but instead, he stole this Song Dynasty vase…" The vase was brought up in a photo on the screen now. "It's monetary value, while considerable, is nowhere near what he's stolen in the past. No one in the mall actually saw the Crimson Mask commit the theft, which also isn't surprising considering he's rarely seen in person. He managed to overpower the sole security guard on duty that night, and made off with the vase. The defendant, Ron Prowler, confessed to being the Crimson Mask, so we arrested him." Spray explained.

"Hmmm… so the defendant actually confessed?" Spinner asked, surprised. "Why is he here now?"

"Uh your honor… I DO get to cross-examine the testimony… right?" Dusty asked now, hoping he wouldn't be derailed before he'd even begun.

"Well of course but… your client confessed?" Spinner asked again.

"Yeah but… this trial is to prove or disprove his identity as the Crimson Mask! So… can I cross-examine?" Dusty pressed again.

"Very well… let's hear your cross-examination!" Spinner relented.

"Thank you, your honor!" Dusty said gratefully, rolling out now to begin. "So Agent Kane… you mentioned this theft being unusual… I agree! Couldn't this be a copycat thief pretending to be the Crimson Mask?" Dusty asked. "You said so yourself that this crime just doesn't fit his usual methods! What if it's simply someone pretending to be him?"

"Objection!" Kez put in, grinning. "Oh Jerkhopper… you're forgetting… there was a photo taken by a security camera at the scene of the crime! I'd like it brought up on the screen now!" the helicopter ordered, and sure enough, the Crimson Mask could be seen in the photo, carrying the vase in question on his hood. He certainly looked like Ron… a bigger, blockier car but… it was hard to tell. The vase was blocking his eyes, and while he was certainly wearing the Crimson Mask's costume… Dusty studied it carefully to be sure. OK so there was the green and red cape… similar to El Chu's in fact… there was the outlandishly big green hat… somewhat like Robin Hood's from what Dusty could tell… and there was of course the red mask over the head… but… something was missing…

Dusty went back to his flypad and brought up pictures of the Crimson Mask. The brooch! That big golden brooch on the cape was missing! "Hey wait! The brooch isn't there! See?" Dusty brought up the picture he was looking at now next to the security image. "The brooch isn't visible in this photo! That could just be a copycat in a cheap Halloween Crimson Mask costume!" Dusty pointed out now, but this elicited a laugh from Kez.

"Heheheheheh… oh Jerkhopper… so quick to leap to conclusions, are you? The brooch WAS in fact found at the crime scene!" Dusty halted here as Kez began explaining things. "You see… the brooch was knocked off in the fight with the lone guard… and to top it all off… it had paint markings of Ron Prowler, the defendant, all over it!" Kez snapped here, grinning wickedly. "I present this brooch into the court as evidence!" Kez produced the brooch, and Dusty could clearly see some of Ron's silver paint upon its golden surface. Damn! Spray hadn't mentioned this yesterday! But then again… he couldn't just willingly give out information to the defense after all…

"So… the costume is complete… but it also has the defendant's paint on it? This isn't looking good!" Spinner commented.

"To finalize this trial… I summon the sole guard at the scene, Luke Clutchly, as my next and final witness!" Kez declared, smiling confidently as he fixed Dusty with that eerie red visor of his. Was it a medical device of some kind?

Spray was dismissed, and Dusty knew he had to be on top of his game here. Already he'd been forced on the defensive by Kez, who knew this case quite well it seemed and had come prepared. The Rolls Royce "ace" detective was soon on the stand, and Kez asked him to testify about the events of the night in question as Spray went over to join Dusty at his bench.

"Well as you already know, I am the famous detective, Luke Clutchly! I've been hounding the Crimson Mask ever since his first heist! Sadly though, I was not up to the task two nights ago. The fiend snuck up behind him and knocked me unconscious before I was able to land a single blow! By the time I came round… the vase was gone… however… before I blacked out… I got a look at my nemesis… and I can say it was definitely him! No copycat! The build was the same as the thief I've been pursuing since day one!" As Luke testified, Dusty noted that the Rolls Royce had a very similar build to Ron; blocky and big… and to top it all off… his testimony contained a clear hole that the firefighter planned to exploit.

"Hmmm… no mistaking it then? It seems this case is constricting tighter and tighter against your client, Mr. Crophopper!" Spinner pointed out here.

"Yes but… I'd like to cross-examine!" Dusty replied.

"Very well… let's hear it!" Spinner ordered.

"Ahem… Mr. Clutchly… you testified you weren't able to land a single blow…then explain HOW the brooch got knocked off his costume last night? The prosecutor just SAID it was knocked off in the struggle! So if you failed to land a single blow… the brooch just magically fell off on its own?" Dusty asked skeptically.

"Oh yes! Silly me!" Luke chuckled here, grinning sheepishly. "Er… seems I got a little confused! See it's not the first time I've fought my opponent! I was confusing this fight with another fight! I er… I actually DID manage to fight back that night! But my opponent grabbed a ceremonial sword from one of the displays and managed to strike me over the head! THAT'S what happened! I DID fight back… and did land a few blows… but not enough!" Luke explained now.

Dusty hardened his face here, and glared at Luke. The detective had to be lying… something about this story… and his whole life in fact just seemed… too spectacular to be real. "Um… describe the fight in greater detail if you could… like what you did… what your opponent did…" Saying he saw his opponent before he blacked out and saying he fought his opponent head on were two WAY different things… and far too easy to simply get confused over.

"Yes, of course!" Luke responded "I used the Clutchly fighting style to hold him off! I put my back to the wall to avoid anyone getting behind me, and primarily tried hitting him with my wheels! But the sword kept him mostly out of my reach, and he brought it down hard upon my head! That's when I lost consciousness and was out of the fight!" Luke explained here, but Dusty knew he had him again.

"Objection! The blow to your head was towards your rear! You WERE struck on the back of the head! So if your back was to the wall… how in Ford's name did he manage to strike you on the BACK of your head? I mean look! The court can see the dent and the chipped paint back there! He's lying about this fight!" Dusty declared. "You know what I think, Mr. Clutchly, ace detective? I think YOU'RE the Crimson Mask! You gained access to the vase by asking to guard and it would give you the perfect opportunity to dress up, pose for the camera, and steal that vase! You faked this 'fight' as your cover, but I think in reality the detective who's been hounding this elusive thief… HAS been the thief all along!" Dusty was running with his theory here, but it made sense to him! Luke had a similar body build to Ron, and what a perfect cover! Pretending to chase down a phantom thief when in reality you were the thief!

This caused the court to erupt in conversation over the possibility of this theory now. The famous detective who'd hunted the Crimson Mask since his first heist… was in reality the Crimson Mask himself! Strangely though… Luke didn't seem the least bit perturbed by this… he was grinning in fact, right at Dusty. But why?

"Objection!" Kez put in now. "Do you have any proof of this wild theory?" the helicopter snapped. "Any proof that Mr. Clutchly is the Crimson Mask? Come on Jerkhopper! Trials are based on proof, and I want to see yours! Prove that Luke Clutchly is the Crimson Mask!"

"Well I…" Dusty knew he'd been cornered again.

"You can't, can you?" Kez asked triumphantly. "I knew it! Just a hare brained scheme from a hare brained plane to get his client off the hook and redirect suspicion!"

"Wait!" the doors to the court had flown open, and Desiree Prowler, wife of the defendant, stood there carrying a duffel bag in her passenger seat. "I HAVE evidence implicating Mr. Clutchly!" Dusty hadn't even noticed she'd left the courthouse during the trial. That duffel bag… that was the one Luke had been carrying out of the mall yesterday!

"What nonsense is this?" Kez snapped, glaring at her.

"I wanted to help my husband! So I went to that detective's office and found this! Look inside of it! You'll be surprised at what it is!" Desiree declared with determination, and drove the duffel up to a court bailiff for examination. Judge Spinner nodded at the bailiff, and the guard unzipped the bag, and the court gasped as a green vase was revealed now as it was lifted out by the bailiff. It was the very same vase that had been stolen two nights ago!

"It's the vase!" Spinner exclaimed, eyes widening. "You claim you found this in the witness's office?" Spinner asked, flabbergasted.

"Objection!" Kez shouted. "Your honor, this is the defendant's WIFE! She would do ANYTHING to get her husband off the hook! INCLUDING planting fake evidence! Who KNOWS where she really got this from? For all we know… she picked it up from some hidden stashing place her husband has and claimed she found it at Mr. Clutchly's office! This is nonsense and I refuse to have this evidence be used against our witness without proof of where it came from!" Kez pointed out here.

"Objection!" Dusty roared back, propeller spinning. "I SAW the witness carrying THIS duffel bag yesterday out of the mall! It was in his backseat! It was the same one! If he had it yesterday… where ELSE would it be aside from his office? He's the thief! Agent Kane can testify to this bag having been in the witness's backseat as well!" Dusty retorted. "And so can the victim, Miles Axlerod! I argue that this 'detective' stole the vase last night, and concealed it somewhere in the mall overnight! He then drove off with it right before our eyes the next day! HE'S the Crimson Mask!" Dusty declared again.

"Order! Order!" Judge Spinner was hammering his gavel down as the court had once again erupted in speculation. "Mr. Axlerod! Agent Kane! Is this true?" the judge hurriedly asked the two of them.

Miles drove forward to join Dusty now, and nodded, gazing at his vase as it was kept with the bailiff. "Yes! Yes! I remember it clearly! It was there in the backseat! That very bag!" Miles declared.

"Yeah… I remember it too." Spray confirmed. "Was wondering where he'd gotten it… since he hadn't had it when we interviewed him in the basement of the mall. I thought it strange at the time but… now I KNOW why it was strange! He was carrying the stolen artifact out of the mall!"

"I bet you if we trace the owner of this bag… we'll find it's Mr. Luke Clutchly!" Dusty proclaimed. "Let's run a trace!"

"Don't bother!" Luke broke in now, grinning. "I confess it! You've caught me red-wheeled! I am the Crimson Mask! It's me!" Luke professed as the court began discussing this again. "You've got me! I did it for the fame! I invented the whole Crimson Mask persona to spice up my otherwise boring life! I created my very own nemesis and my own story of me pursuing him from dusk till dawn! Yes it's me! Congratulations!"

Luke was seeming… strangely unaffected by the fact that he'd just confessed to grand larceny. Something seemed… bizarre about this… why was he just confessing? True it was a brilliant twist but… really? He was OK with this? "It's me!" he continued saying. "I am the Crimson Mask! Take me away!"

"Wait! What about all the items you've stolen!" Judge Spinner cut in.

"Sadly they've been sold on the black market! It's too late to reclaim them! But I DID return my latest heist before this vase after all! I did THAT to enhance my own image as a super sleuth! But in the end… I've been caught! Oh well! I knew it had to come to an end at some point!" Luke stated with what Dusty could only label as insincere regret.

"Well then, bailiff! Arrest this car! Take him away! It seems the mystery of the Crimson Mask has finally been solved!" The bailiffs moved to slap a tow on Luke, who was still grinning while he was hooked up to the truck. But… what was going on here? Something about this just seemed TOO easy… why were so many willing to confess to being the Crimson Mask?

As Luke was led away, Ron gunned his engine and drove forward now. "But NO! I'M the Crimson Mask!" he proclaimed. "You can't arrest him! I'm the Crimson Mask! I've been the Crimson Mask from day one! I'm confessing!"

"But… you're free to go!" Judge Spinner pointed out now. "Luke Clutchly confessed to being the Crimson Mask!"

"But it's ME!" Ron protested.

"What are you doing?" Dusty asked Ron. "Ron I just got you off the hook!"

"But I want t testify about the theft that night!" Ron insisted. "Please!"

"Well isn't this a surprise… the thief confessed... but your client still claims he's guilty!" Kez spoke up now, grinning. "Let's hear what he has to say? Why not?" the helicopter asked. "What do we have to lose?"

"This is insane! We have a TWO cars confessing to this crime?" Judge Spinner asked. "What in blazes is going on here? There can't be TWO Crimson Masks! And we proved that Luke Clutchly drove off with the vase! So what… is going on here?"

"It's me! I'm the Crimson Mask! I'll testify!" Ron kept insisting, causing Dusty to groan.

"Ugh this is making my head hurt! Fine, defendant! I was about to declare you innocent but let's hear what you have to say! Testify!" Spinner ordered.

"Yes! Yes of course!" Ron stated as he drove up to the witness stand. "I am the Crimson Mask! I've BEEN the Crimson Mask since day one! I stole the vase last night! The brooch fell off me when I hit the door frame of the storage room as I exited the scene of the crime! It must've rolled back into the room! I have NO alibi for last night! I did it! I stole that vase!"

Dusty sighed here. He knew he could prove Ron innocent with his security card and wallet… but what was going on here? Luke and Ron both seemed eager to confess... but why? He headed out to begin his cross-examination. "Ron… we found your wallet at your work place… which is 30 minutes from the mall! You WEREN'T at the mall last night! Your wallet was AT Altmore Security!" Dusty pointed out here. "My friend… Larry Fenders… your coworker claims that he found it around 1 AM! If it was 1 AM… you couldn't have been at the mall!"

"Well… maybe someone planted my wallet at Altmore to make it look like I was there!" Ron interjected.

"But WHY Ron? You probably dropped it when you took your card out to swipe it! Your story just doesn't make sense stacked up against the evidence!" Dusty replied. "Why would someone PLANT your wallet at your workplace?"

"But why would the defendant be at Altmore so late, Jerkhopper?" Kez put in now. "I've checked his schedule… he doesn't work those hours!"

"Well this!" Dusty presented the blackmail letter the FBI had found at Ron's house yesterday. "He was being blackmailed or so it would seem! This letter was found at his residence yesterday! It ordered him to come to Altmore Security at 1 AM with $50,000! He was answering this letter that night! He was dealing with the blackmailer! He couldn't have been committing the theft!" Dusty put the letter up on the screen for the court to see.

"Prove it, Jerkhopper!" Kez snapped. "Prove Ron went to Altmore Security that night! We don't know if this letter proves anything! He could've ignored it after all and stolen the vase!"

"All right fine! Let's get the CEO of Altmore on the phone! I'm sure he can confirm if his employee was there that night using data from the card readers! If Ron swiped his card that night at work… it'll prove he was THERE and NOT stealing the vase!" Dusty shot back.

"Fine! Your honor, I request a brief recess while we call up Altmore's CEO to find out the meaning of the defense's claims." Kez responded.

"Very well! I'll give you the time you need to contact Altmore and find out what's going on here!" Judge Spinner ordered.

Dusty exhaled, knowing his client would be proven innocent with confirmation from Altmore. This HAD to be it! This bizarre case would finally be at an end… but strangely, Ron seemed devastated. He had shriveled up, and wasn't looking at anyone. He had a worried look to him… and Dusty could only wonder why. He chose not to leave the room just yet, as he wanted to wait while Kez made the inquires. Kez… just who was he? How did he know Dusty?

"Ron what are you doing?" Dusty asked his client again, who seemed unwilling to meet his gaze.

"I… am the Crimson Mask… you have to believe me… I stole the vase last night…" was all Ron said softly.

"But… WHAT is going on here? Luke is the Crimson Mask!" Dusty stated insistently.

"He's not…" Ron whispered.

"Ugh but he confessed! I proved he was lying about that night! He drove off with the vase! Ron HE'S the Crimson Mask!" Dusty persisted.

"Dusty… what's going on here?" Spray asked, confused as he rolled up to Dusty.

"I haven't the slightest idea! WE PROVED it was Luke! So what gives? I don't understand any of this!"

"Who's Kez?" Spray asked now.

"I… I don't know! He claims to know me… but… I've never met him before, I'm fairly certain!" Dusty pointed out.

Speaking of Kez, he hopped back into the courtroom now, a look of consternation on his face. He was bothered by something… and Dusty had a feeling he knew what it was. Sighing, the helicopter moved to behind his bench as Spinner reconvened the court and everyone filed back to the viewing galleries.

"So… what has the prosecution determined, Mr. Kez?" Spinner asked here, studying his gavel.

"The prosecution was unable to reach the CEO of Altmore but… we spoke with security… and… the defendant's card WAS used at 1 AM." Kez said with dejection. "On top of that… security footage shows the defendant entering the building around 12:45 AM…"

"Ha!" Dusty laughed. "I knew it! I KNEW my client was innocent! See? His card AND wallet were there! His card was USED! This all but proves he has an alibi! So… are we done here?" Dusty asked Kez.

"Hmph… yeah… we're done." Kez admitted. "In light of both the defendant's wallet being found at Altmore AND his card having been used… coupled with the security footage… the State has no choice, your honor. State dismisses its charges on the defendant." Kez said wryly.

"Very well then! Mr. Prowler! You are hereby cleared of any wrongdoing in the theft of the vase and of being the Crimson Mask! Congratulations!" Spinner declared, slapping his gavel down. "Another victory for you, Mr. Crophopper! Well done on getting to the bottom of this mystery!"

Dusty looked at Ron, who seemed terrified now. He drove down sullenly from the witness stand, and began heading for the exit, brushing by his cheering wife, he kissed him on his side happily, to which he paid no mind.

"You did it, Dusty!" Axlerod exclaimed happily. "You got my vase back, AND you caught the thief! I can't believe I was hoodwinked by that charlatan! But you got him in the end and most importantly… the vase can move into the museum now! I've been saved! Thank you! THANK YOU!" Miles declared happily, hugging Dusty slightly with his wheels.

"Yeah it's… no problem, really." Dusty acknowledged. "I'm glad it's been solved but… something feels… weird…" He moved to follow after Ron here, heading out of the courtroom to catch up with his mysterious client. "Hey! Ron! What's up?" Dusty asked now. "Aren't you happy you're innocent?

"But I AM the Crimson Mask!" Ron turned to face him now.

"Oh Ron, stop it!" Desiree chided him. "Just give it a rest! You're NOT that thief! That creepy detective was all along! Thanks, Dusty! I knew you could do it! My husband will just realize it's over now, and give up this silly fantasy! Won't you, Ron?"

"No…" Ron said glumly. "I can't believe this…"

"What is WITH you lately, Ron? You're acting so strangely! You're innocent! Free!" Desi reminded him.

Dusty noticed Kez approaching now, hopping on his landing struts as a gaggle of police officers followed behind him. They were heading right for the group… but… why? "I don't like the look of this…" Dusty trailed off as Kez hopped up, smirking now.

"Congratulations, Jerkhopper! Ron Prowler, you're under arrest for the murder of Kane Altmore, CEO of Altmore Security! Turns out the reason we couldn't reach him was he was dead! His body has just been discovered… concealed in his office… and time of death was determined to be around 1 AM two nights ago… the same time Ron Prowler used his card to swipe into Mr. Altmore's office! By getting your client declared innocent Jerkhopper… you've all but PROVEN he was behind the murder of Kane Altmore!" Kez proclaimed victoriously.

Dusty only gasped at this as Ron closed his eyes and seemed to shrink as the police hooked him up to a tow truck. "What? But I… THIS was why you wanted to be found guilty of the theft?" Dusty squeaked in disbelief.

"Congratulations again Jerkhopper… you've all but made this case in my favor! I'll be prosecuting him for the murder of Altmore, and you get to rest on the laurels of your victory… and watch as it all comes crashing down around you!" Kez was grinning right in his face, and Dusty could only watch in shock as Ron started to be towed off before giving a desperate look in his direction.

"Wait! Ron! Ron!" Dusty called after him. "Did you do this?"

"No." Ron mouthed sadly as he was led away, slumping in defeat as Dusty only watched in disbelief and dismay at what was occurring… but he'd denied it… he'd denied murdering Kane… so… for a car so willing to confess before… did that mean he was… innocent?


	28. Chapter 28: Behind the Mask

**Author's Note: **So I managed to write a chapter while on the road! It's the conclusion to the first of two cases for part three, so hope you all enjoy it! I'm having a great time traveling so far! Saw one of my personal meccas this trip, for which I'm quite pleased for. :D

**Back to the Story**

Altmore Security was swarming with cops. Black unmarked police cars moved about the premises, while regularly uniformed police cars formed a cordon about the building. Dusty stood outside the building gazing up at the edifice. It was by no means a small place, and Dusty only hoped he'd be able to gain access easily. He had chosen to represent Ron in his second trial after all, though hadn't been able to visit Ron just yet.

Figuring a visit to the new crime scene was in order before the police removed everything, Dusty approached the front doors of the security firm with trepidation, but relaxed as he recognized one of the detectives as Crawford. "Detective Crawford! Hey! What's going on here? A murder?" Dusty asked, feeling confused.

"Yeah… Kane Altmore was found dead this morning… stuffed inside his massive safe." Crawford explained. "THAT'S why nobody at his office realized he was dead at first. They just assumed he hadn't showed up for work as usual. But his staff began getting suspicious, and finally, someone with clearance opened the safe this morning and found the deceased inside."

"Cause of death?" Dusty asked.

"Blow to the back of the head from a statue on his desk." Crawford replied. "I can't say more than that right now."

"Hmmm… so he was physically assaulted…" Dusty stated, trailing off here. "Any indication as to why he was killed?"

"Well… I can't say but… you'll find something in his office of use." Crawford said under his breath. "By the way… you hear the news? Luke Clutchly has confessed to all of the Crimson Mask's robberies."

"He has? That's so… strange…" Dusty admitted here.

"Yeah well… he had intimate knowledge of ALL heists… how he bypassed security, how he obtained each item and left the scenes unobserved… it seems fairly cut and dry. You see this?" Crawford asked, holding out a newspaper now. Dusty looked it over. It regarded the Crimson Mask's first heist. Luke Clutchly was seen in an alley where the Crimson Mask had vanished. Luke had found the costume… but no Crimson Mask. But as Dusty studied the picture… his eyes focused on a security guard who could be seen in the background. It was hard to tell… as he wasn't in focus but… that looked like Ron Prowler! Ron had been present at the first heist? But… why? Had he been telling the truth the whole time? Luke fit the bill better but… what was Ron's connection to this?

"Hey was Altmore connected to the Crimson Mask in any way?" Dusty asked Crawford as he considered passing the newspaper back, but hesitated, holding onto it for now.

"Yeah… they provided security for many of the Mask's targets… but they were losing face. The Crimson Mask was making them look useless." Crawford explained.

"That would make Kane Altmore despite the Crimson Mask rather a lot… a phantom thief making him look foolish and ineffective after all…" Dusty mused aloud. "May I keep this?" he asked the detective, who nodded.

"Anyway you can go in… just don't take too long! The cops don't like defense attorneys poking around their crime scene after all." Crawford warned, and Dusty nodded in understanding as he moved inside the building.

Altmore's office was located on the top floor of the building, 13 floors up. He had an impressive view of the Downtown Los Angeles area from here, and Dusty whistled as he entered the big office. Two cops were in here, clustered around the safe. The body had since been removed, but they were conducting investigations all the same. Dusty tried to act inconspicuous as he rolled over to Altmore's desk. "OK…" He whispered, looking down at the desk.

There was an open book there, and Dusty had to turn himself in order to see the writing in an upright fashion. "Huh…" he said, noting it was a list of the items stolen by the Crimson Mask, as well as their monetary values. "Well, well… what were you keeping track of, my very dead friend?" Dusty murmured under his breath. The only thing missing was the vase… but not surprising since Kane was murdered the night of its theft.

"Duster!" Dusty froze as Larry Fenders called out his name, causing the two cops to glance in his direction.

"Hey! Larry!" Dusty responded, moving towards the door and the Camaro.

"What are you doing here, Dusterino?" Larry asked.

"Um… just poking around, you know!" Dusty exited the office here. "So you uh… you found Ron's wallet the night of the murder, right? But… you didn't see Ron?" Dusty asked now, finding this suspicious.

"Yeah… I… I didn't really…" Larry started, but fumbled with his words.

"Larry… what's going on?" Dusty asked now.

"Um… well see…"

"You were on duty that night… right? You didn't receive an alarm from the office? From your boss's office?" Dusty pressed.

"Um… well… there was an alarm but… see…"

"Larry!" Dusty sighed with exasperation.

"I wasn't in the building when it went off, OK?" Larry practically snapped, closing his eyes. "See like… when I found the wallet… I wanted to return it! I didn't THINK Ron was here tonight because he doesn't work the night shift! I thought he'd dropped it during the day and so you know… and I kinda wanted to… you know… get a look at his wife!" Larry said in a strained voice, eyes still closed, as if he could make it all vanish.

"What? You LEFT your post?" Dusty asked, shocked.

"Yeah, OK! I wanted to give him his wallet back! I didn't hear the alarm because… I wasn't… present when it went off! I know I'm stupid, OK? But DON'T tell Mr. Altmore! He'd fire me in an instant if he found out!" Larry protested.

"Um… I don't think..." Dusty just trailed off here at this. "I don't think you have to worry about that." He finally managed to blurt out.

"Anyway, Ron's our top guard! He NEEDED those security cards in his wallet! I couldn't just let him go without them!" Larry insisted.

"Uh huh… you're a stand-up citizen, Larry." Dusty rolled his eyes here.

"Gee, thanks, Duster! Appreciate it!" Larry slapped Dusty's pontoon playfully with his wheel.

"Um… you should probably think about switching jobs, Larry." Dusty muttered, then plastered a smile on his face. "Anyway, I'm gonna go see Ron now… thanks for the info, Larry!" Dusty suddenly halted then, and turned. "Wait… where did you find the wallet?"

"Oh! Right outside Altmore's office!" Larry replied.

"Door was closed?" Dusty asked, to which Larry nodded. "Hmmm… all right, thanks Larry!" The wallet was outside the office… so Ron was here… but why? The blackmail letter? But why kill Altmore… and drop his wallet in such a conspicuous spot? It seemed… too convenient. Unless Ron was a total idiot… and Dusty didn't think so if he was Altmore's best guard… something was off here. It was time to get Ron's story on this…

**Detention Center**

Ron meekly met Dusty at the detention center. He didn't look as if he was doing well, but Dusty didn't exactly blame him. "Hey Ron…" Dusty said softly. "I need some answers…"

"OK…" Ron replied equally softly, not looking at him.

"First off… are you REALLY the Crimson Mask? Or did you just confess because you wanted an alibi for the murder of your boss?" Dusty asked here.

"Yes… to both…" Ron confessed as he closed his eyes.

"TO BOTH?" Dusty asked incredulously.

"Yes… I AM the Crimson Mask… and yes… I confessed to stealing the vase because of my boss's murder…" Ron began.

"WHAT happened, Ron? What happened at Altmore that night? Why did you show up? If you were there… you WEREN'T stealing the vase!" Dusty pointed out.

"Correct…" Ron replied, finally opening his eyes. "I received a letter saying my secret would be revealed if I didn't go to Altmore with $50,000 or my ruby. So I went… I figured it had to be Kane… he's got powerful contacts… ways of… figuring things out. But as I entered his office someone hit me and I lost consciousness! When I woke up… the alarm in his office was going off… and Kane was dead, OK? I panicked! I opened up his safe-"

"You knew the combination?" Dusty interrupted.

"Yes… I knew it. As head guard I knew it. Anyway I opened his safe, stuffed his body inside and drove off after closing it, OK?" Ron finished.

"And your wallet?" Dusty asked.

"I had it out to swipe my card in Kane's office reader. It was still out when I entered his office when I was struck on the head… so yeah I dropped it probably… didn't even think about it when I woke up and the alarm was going off…" Ron admitted.

Dusty knew why no guard had shown up… Larry was not even in the building. So if Ron was telling the truth… he had been knocked out… the real killer had already killed Kane probably… and had set the alarm off on purpose so Ron would be found and arrested but… Larry wasn't there so… the plan went awry. Ron WASN'T arrested… and instead awoke to find the body, conceal it, and flee the scene. So who was guilty? Who was the real killer? Dusty had an idea when Ron had mentioned his "ruby."

"Um… Ron… could you take a look at this?" Dusty showed his client the newspaper he'd gotten from Crawford earlier on showing Luke Clutchly studying the Crimson Mask's costume in the alley with Ron in the background. "Is that you?" he asked now.

Ron nodded. "Yeah… my first heist. Luke was hot on my tail… I didn't have a choice. He was gonna catch me so I ditched my costume and quickly donned my security guard guise. It fooled him."

"Well if he found your costume… it explains how he was able to dress up like you at the mall. You've got a similar build to him, after all." Dusty pointed out.

'Yeah… probably. You know… ever since that first heist… I started receiving blackmail letters. They threatened to reveal my secret unless I did exactly as I was told… I was instructed on what items to steal, how to bypass security, and to leave the items in a safety deposit box at a certain bank. I was paid quite handsomely by whoever sent me my instructions so… I didn't really care. I needed money… my wife. She's… she's got a fast and expensive lifestyle… but I love her, so… that's why I became the Crimson Mask. My security job just wasn't cutting it. I needed more income… so I became the Crimson Mask." Ron's story was confirming some things in Dusty's mind. Primarily that Luke was the one behind the thefts… Ron carried them out sure, but Luke was pulling the strings. Luke no doubt picked up the stolen items, fenced them on the black market, and paid Ron a fraction of the proceeds. It also explained how the Crimson Mask was so good… Luke would often times help guard these very items, and he'd know the security arrangements intimately. If not, he could've easily scoped the place out before the heist took place.

"So… you didn't kill Kane… right?" Dusty asked now.

"No… I didn't kill my boss. I told you what happened." Dusty closed his eyes here.

"Mmm… Luke… he was so adamant about getting convicted today… I know this sounds crazy but you wanted to get convicted to have an alibi for the murder… what if Luke… wanted to do the same thing?" Dusty inquired.

"Luke? Why would he kill Kane? He has no connection to him…" Ron stated now.

"Maybe he does…" Dusty trailed off, remembering the monetary values of the objects stolen written down in Altmore's book. If Kane had somehow found out it was Luke who was behind the Crimson Mask by tracing Luke's bank account… but it didn't explain Ron getting that letter… except of course Luke could've passed it on to Ron to frame him for the murder. Whoever had planned this had done a very good job… and Luke was good at planning things, so it seemed. If this was all part of his plan to frame Ron for murdering Kane… he'd planned it out very well. Dusty remembered the "ruby" mentioned in the note. If that was true… Luke certainly owned a very prominent ruby.

"Ron…" Dusty said now. "If you're telling me the truth… I need you to stick to that story tomorrow in court, OK? The prosecution is gonna try and nail you on the fact that you were seen entering the building on camera… and that your card was swiped. Now I know that's gonna make you look guilty… but STICK to your story, OK? I'm gonna try and thread the pylons and get you out of this one." Dusty reassured him.

"OK… OK I will." Ron nodded lightly. "Hey… thanks… for believing in me. I know I must've seemed like a lunatic when this case started…"

"Hey… it's making a LOT more sense now! The picture is becoming clearer… and I'm going to prove it tomorrow! You just tell them what you told me tomorrow… and we'll be fine. I'm getting to the bottom of this! Volo pro veritas!" Dusty declared.

Ron gave him a slight smile here, and a grateful nod, and the buzzer sounded announcing the end of visiting hours at the detention center. Dusty knew that tomorrow, Luke Clutchly's trial as the Crimson Mask would be taking place in the next courtroom over. He'd need to work fast before Clutchly was convicted… if he was truly guilty of murdering Altmore, his plan to get convicted as the Crimson Mask would mean he'd go to jail for grand larceny instead of murder… grand larceny didn't involve the death penalty, murder did. It was rather brilliant really… since Luke had masterminded the thefts, he could easily claim to be the Crimson Mask. Dusty would need speed and accuracy tomorrow if he was not only going to get Ron acquitted… but beat Luke's conviction as well. He'd need to prove Luke was connected to the murder… and drag him into their court for the finale!

**The Next Day, Los Angeles District Court**

The courtroom next to the one Dusty currently occupied was swarmed with reporters covering the trial of the "Crimson Mask", Luke Clutchly. Dusty knew he'd be racing that trial, so focused on the job before him as Ron was called up as the first witness of his trial. Kez was back s the prosecutor for this trial as well, and appeared fairly assured of himself as he hopped forward to ask Ron to testify. "Ron Prowler… you were seen by a security camera entering Altmore Security, the place of your employment on the night your boss, Kane Altmore, was murdered. Your card was also used at Altmore Security that night… it was swiped on the card reader which was on the door of Altmore's office So… Mr. Prowler… what EXACTLY were you doing at Altmore Security that night? According to your work schedule, you don't work nights. So enlighten us as to your reasons for being there that night." Kez posed his statements rather well, and it was clear he felt he could make this case with his eyes closed. Whether or not he actually had eyes behind that visor of his, Dusty felt was another question entirely. But best listen to Ron's testimony.

"Right… well I showed up because… because I was being blackmailed. I had received a letter that was clearly blackmail, so I decided to answer the call. I figured it couldn't be anyone else but my boss who had written it so… that's why I went there that night." Ron began.

"Blackmail for what?" Kez asked.

"I can't say…"

"You can't say or you'd rather not say?" Kez pressed.

"I'd rather not say." Ron corrected.

"Hmph… very well… I argue it was BECAUSE of this blackmail that you killed Kane Altmore! You were done with this crap, and you decided to end it then and there!" Kez shouted.

"No!" Ron protested, looking over at Dusty now. "No that's not what I did!"

"But Mr. Prowler… you've proven you have motive AND we can place you at the scene of the crime! Pretty strong case in my book!" Kez snapped.

"But let's hear what he did when he arrived at Altmore's office!" Dusty spoke up now, moving out from behind his desk. "I'd like to hear the accused's testimony about what occurred that night."

Judge Spinner nodded, and allowed the testimony to proceed. Ron cleared his throat, and began again. "Right… so uh… well when I entered the office, I was struck on the head and knocked unconscious. When I woke up, the alarm was going off, and I saw Mr. Altmore dead behind his desk. I knew how it'd look, so I tried to hide the body. I pushed him towards his safe, opened it up, and moved him inside. I mean come on! If I had killed him, why would I hang around as long as I did? Surely the security camera could see me leaving at least a half an hour after I'd arrived! I got out of there as QUICKLY as I could! Yes I concealed his body… but I didn't kill him! I swear! I was knocked out and when I came to… Altmore was dead! Since I WORK there I knew what the alarm meant! I knew I had to get out of there as soon as I could! I hid his body and exited the building! I'm sorry I did this… but I panicked." Ron reiterated.

"Hmm… so you claim to be knocked out and when you awoke, the alarm was sounding, Mr. Altmore was dead, and you hid his body in his safe?" Judge Spinner outlined again. "OK… defense my cross-examine." Spinner ordered.

Dusty nodded, and knew how he could make his own case here. "Ahem… I find it curious that Mr. Altmore's tire marks were NOT on the button of the alarm!" Dusty began here. "If he didn't press the button… who did?" Dusty asked the court. "I mean come on… would Ron PRESS the alarm after killing Altmore? WHY? He's not an idiot! SOMEONE else was in that room! The REAL killer of Kane Altmore!" Dusty declared now, causing discussion to break out in the courtroom. "The REAL killer knocked Ron out as he entered the room… Mr. Altmore of course being already dead… and pressed the button to summon security so that Ron would be framed for the murder! And furthermore… the blackmail Mr. Prowler was so keen on hiding was his identity as the Crimson Mask!"

The court positively erupted now, as cries of "Luke Clutchly is the Crimson Mask" could be heard. "BUT!" Dusty cut them off as Spinner banged his gavel and shouted for order. "Ron Prowler is the Crimson Mask! He confessed this to me yesterday, and told me EXACTLY how his heists were carried out! We both came to the conclusion that Luke Clutchly was really behind the heists, because he knew about the Crimson Mask's true identity thanks to him having come so close to catching him during his first heist! ONLY someone with intimate knowledge of Ron's life would be capable of trying to frame him for a murder… and who knows him better than Luke Clutchly?" Dusty asked the court now. "THAT'S why Luke pleaded guilty to being the Crimson Mask! It gives him the perfect alibi! Grand larceny is a prison sentence sure… but it's not the death penalty for murder! I argue that Luke Clutchly murdered Kane Altmore and tried to frame my client for it because he KNEW the particulars of Ron's life!"

"Wait, wait! Your client is the Crimson Mask?" Judge Spinner asked in disbelief. "But I thought…"

"We were wrong! Luke Clutchly admitted to it to gain an alibi for the murder of Kane Altmore! It makes sense as to WHY he was so willing to just confess! Similar to how my client confessed to being the Crimson Mask, Luke Clutchly was doing the same thing!" Dusty declared boldly. "I say we drag him in here and ask him to testify!"

"Objection!" Kez shouted. "But… your honor, we have no proof of any of this!"

"But we DO!" Dusty protested. "If the victim didn't hit the alarm and we can BOTH agree my client wasn't stupid enough to do so… WHO did? There WAS a third vehicle in that room! And I say it's Luke Clutchly! I can prove it! I say we get him in here!"

"But that would require interrupting his current trial!" Spinner pointed out.

"Yeah well… IF he gets declared guilty in that trial, he can't stand trial for a murder he committed! Your honor! We NEED him in here now before that occurs!" Dusty pleaded.

"Your honor, this is a wild tactic by the defense to pin this crime on someone else!" Kez broke in.

"But he DOES have a point!" Spinner replied. "Ron Prowler wouldn't have hit that alarm… and we know Altmore didn't so… who did? I'm intrigued by the defense's claims… and he's right. Clutchly did know the Crimson Mask rather well… if that's what the blackmail was about… he may have a point. Mr. Prowler… was that what the blackmail was about?" the judge asked the defendant now.

Ron nodded. "I don't think there's anything else it could've been, your honor. I have no other secrets in my life." Ron stated.

"Hmm… and you are ADMITTING you're the Crimson Mask?" Judge Spinner asked here.

"Yes… I am." Ron replied. It was rather good for Ron… because he'd been declared innocent of being the Crimson Mask yesterday, he couldn't stand trial again for the art thefts thanks to the rule of double jeopardy, in which a person declared innocent of a crime could never stand trial again for the same crime. If Dusty could win today's trial as well… Ron would get off completely free of BOTH charges. It seemed Spinner realized this, but said nothing further on the subject.

"Very well! Let's get Luke Clutchly in here!" Spinner finally ordered. "We're getting to the bottom of this trial today! Bailiff, go and fetch Mr. Clutchly… and do be quick about it! We don't want him being declared guilty just YET!" the Escalade pointed out, and the bailiff nodded and went to go fetch Clutchly from the next courtroom over.

Dusty knew he'd have to tear Clutchly's alibi apart. There had to be evidence to suggest that Clutchly was lying… and Dusty was going to find it. Fortunately, Miles Axlerod was present in the courtroom, and would make for a good witness.

Before long, Clutchly was brought into the courtroom, the bailiff giving the judge a "you won't believe this" look. Dusty figured the jury must've been about to deliver their verdict when the trial had been interrupted. "Might I ask the meaning of this, your honor?" Luke asked, apparently perturbed over something. Dusty noted the Rolls Royce's body seemed tensed… he was rolling across the floor very stiffly, as if he was afraid of making a wrong move.

"Yes! The defense seems to think you're connected to this trial and would like to ask you a few questions!" Spinner replied.

"Would he now? He already proved I was the Crimson Mask… what's he want now? Saying I killed Mr. Altmore too? I couldn't have done BOTH in one night after all!" Luke pointed out here.

"That's what we're here to determine!" Judge Spinner stated. "So then! Defense…" Luke was placed on the witness stand now, a smug look on his face as Dusty rolled toward him.

"Yes, your honor. Mr. Clutchly… I'd like to ask you about your alibi for the murder of Kane Altmore… how long were you unconscious for?" Dusty asked.

"Well since I wasn't truly unconscious…" Luke trailed off here.

"Anyway… can anyone vouch that you were even there 'guarding the vase?" Dusty asked.

"I… don't think so." Luke confessed here.

"Mr. Axlerod… do you remember seeing Luke Clutchly at ALL that night?" Dusty inquired, turning to Miles.

"No… I never saw him once… he never delivered a status update because he claimed he'd been knocked out. I was there that night too… for obvious reasons. We'd been tipped off ahead of time that the Crimson Mask was going to strike." The Range Rover explained.

"But you never saw him ONCE that entire night?" Dusty asked.

"Not after he went down to the basement… no." Miles confirmed.

"Odd… so basically NO ONE can vouch for your story of stealing this vase, can they, Mr. Clutchly?" Dusty asked. "He could've EASILY been at Altmore Security that night! Since we know he ALSO concealed the vase in the mall somewhere that night… he could've simply hid it someplace and THEN made his way over to Altmore Security to kill Kane Altmore!" Dusty proclaimed.

"Really?" Luke replied with poise. "So if I somehow slipped out of the mall and headed to Altmore Security… why would I kill Kane Altmore? I have no connection to him whatsoever."

"Ah but you do! See that blackmail note that the FBI found in Ron Prowler's house… YOU had received it first, hadn't you?" Dusty asked, grinning.

"What blackmail note?" Luke asked innocently.

"This one." Dusty had it brought up on screen now.

"Hmm… that's the one you showed yesterday… and we proved that was for Ron Prowler." Luke stated. "I have no connection to Mr. Altmore." The Rolls Royce reiterated.

"Ahhh but there's a backside to this note! Mr. Altmore ran out of room when he wrote it… so let's show the flip side to the court!" Dusty ordered now, and the backside came up, causing several gasps and words to start flying about the courtroom. "Could you please read that for us, Mr. Clutchly? The WHOLE thing." Dusty smirked.

Luke seemed to pale here at the revelation of the backside of the note. "Well?" Dusty asked, tapping a pontoon now. "We're waiting!"

"Er… Bring $50,000 OR your ruby…" Luke's eyes flicked to the prominent ruby he had on his right fender now.

"The Crimson Mask NEVER stole a ruby in his heists… so if this was meant for Ron… the REAL Crimson Mask… WHAT on earth was it referring to? Mr. Prowler, do you possess any rubies?" Dusty asked his client now, looking back at him.

Ron shook his head. "I don't." He admitted.

"YOU received this note, Mr. Clutchly! You passed it along to Ron because you knew he'd fall for it since HE'S the Crimson Mask and has a 'secret' the note speaks of! You wanted to frame him for your murder of your blackmailer! After all… you yourself had been blackmailing Ron all along from behind the scenes… forcing him to commit thefts for you as the Crimson Mask!" Dusty said accusingly now, causing the court to explode once more in cacophonous discussion.

"Objection!" Kez put in now, finally speaking up. "I've let this comedy play out long enough! Even if everything you said is true… if Mr. Clutchly wasn't at Beverly Center that night… even if he was behind this whole Crimson Mask malarkey… there's NO PROOF that puts him at Altmore that night! THAT'S the main thing you're forgetting, Jerkhopper! Unless you can PLACE Clutchly at the scene of the crime AND prove he killed Kane Altmore… you got nothing! You hear me? You got nothing! So put up or shut up, Jerkhopper! Prove ANY of this! Otherwise, Clutchly goes back to his old trial where he'd undoubtedly be found guilty of being the Crimson Mask and this whole case is wrapped up!"

Well… I… I…" Dusty stuttered here, knowing he didn't have any proof. "I uh…"

"All we proved is that SOMEONE was MAYBE in that room… not that Luke Clutchly was!" Kez shouted.

"But the note!" Dusty pointed out.

"Circumstantial!" Kez shot back. "While Mr. Clutchly does have a rather noticeable ruby, there's no proof the note was referring to him… or that he was blackmailing Ron Prowler either! So just admit it! You got nothing!"

"Is this true, Mr. Crophopper?" Spinner asked.

"I… yes…" Dusty confessed, closing his eyes forlornly here.

"Well it seems that Ron Prowler truly is the murderer, and not I!" Luke proclaimed happily, grinning triumphantly here. "It's been fun, gents… but I think I should be getting back to my other trial now!"

But Dusty's eyes suddenly snapped open here, and blazed with an intensity that seemed to cause Kez to freeze as the firefighter shouted out "WAIT!" He was glaring right at Clutchly, but Kez in turn was staring at Dusty, his mouth slightly agape, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"That's new testimony! You just said Ron is the murderer! I have the right to cross-examine that! I'd like to know WHY Mr. Clutchly seems to think this is so!" Dusty pointed out now.

"But that's only one sentence, Mr. Crophopper!" Spinner pointed out now. "Aren't you going to raise an objection, Mr. Kez?" Spinner snapped, looking at Kez, who seemed in shock at Dusty as Dusty finally caught the helicopter looking right at him here. "Mr. Kez?" Spinner asked again, causing the helicopter's body to shake a bit as he seemed to come out of his trance.

"Er… I-I… he can… cross-examine…" Kez said weakly.

"WHAT?" Spinner asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes…" Kez almost whispered, still staring at Dusty.

Dusty narrowed his eyes, confused at his, but decided why not? May as well if Kez was allowing it. "Right… Mr. Clutchly… tell the court WHY you think Ron Prowler murdered Kane Altmore! I'm curious as to your line of reasoning! It might help us convict him, after all!" Dusty played right off Luke's ego, and it worked like a charm.

Grinning at Dusty, the Rolls Royce shook his head. "Very well… if you insist. I'm a super sleuth after all. It had to be Ron. He had motive, as you ably pointed out with this blackmail letter… he had access as you ably proved in yesterday's trial when you showed he swiped his card at Altmore Security, and to top it all off there were no tire marks upon the alarm button because Mr. Prowler clearly wiped his marks off the button after pressing it. He concealed any evidence he'd ever been there!" Luke explained deftly, but had made a clear blunder here.

Dusty smirked here. He had him! "Oh really?" Dusty asked now. "No tire marks? But Mr. Clutchly… HOW could you know that?" Dusty asked here. "We only JUST determined that today! And you weren't present for that! Only those in this courtroom earlier today knew that! So tell me… HOW did you know there were no tire marks… or that the alarm button was even important?" Dusty asked, still smirking. "You were THERE in that room… weren't you? You'd ONLY know that by being there! YOU were in that room! YOU killed Kane Altmore because he'd tried to blackmail you! How ELSE could have have known that detail?" Dusty snapped.

"Heheh… heheheheh." Luke began chuckling here, seemingly starting to lose it as Dusty tore into him.

"Kane Altmore had managed to trace your bank account using his various contacts and had found out YOU were behind the Crimson Mask thefts. So he tried blackmailing you… just like you were blackmailing Ron… so you set up that whole vase heist to give yourself a convenient alibi, then you hid the vase, slipped out of Beverly Center… drove to Altmore Security… met with Mr. Altmore early, killed him by striking him over the back of the head with the statue on his desk, and then waited for Ron to show up! When he did, you knocked him out, hit the alarm, and fled the scene! I even argue you were able to avoid the cameras because you had scoped the place out before that night once you had received the blackmail note! You were good at doing that after all, having planned all the Crimson Mask heists! You then made your way back to Beverly Center with the perfect excuse that you'd been out cold for several hours. No one had seen you that night… it was perfect! You could plead guilty to being the Crimson Mask to protect yourself from the murder charge! Except you slipped up just here!"

"Yes! YES! Slipped up!" Luke declared wildly, cackling here. "Yes! Hahahah! Perfect! Perfect description of my crime! Yes I killed him! Yes! Hahahahahah!" Luke's eyes were twitching here, and it was obvious he had more than few screws loose in his engine block. "You've GOT ME! QUITE the sleuth!"

"So you're… confessing?" Spinner asked here confused.

"Yes! I am! Hahahahah! He's caught me red-wheeled! Very clever! He figured it out! Hahahahahahah!" Luke was laughing maniacally here, and Spinner shook his head in disgust.

"Bailiff! Take this whacko car out of my courtroom! Place him under arrest for the murder of Kane Altmore! I think Mr. Crophopper has all but proven he was present in that room!" the judge ordered, banging his gavel down.

The cackling Luke Clutchly was pushed by the bailiff towards the courtroom exit now, leaving a deflated Kez to watch him go. Ron rolled forward now, appearing relieved but nervous as well. "But you know… I WOULD like to confess to being the Crimson Mask! I was mostly forced into doing those thefts… so if possible… is it OK if I confess?"

"You were cleared of those charges, Mr. Prowler! You can't be tried again for them! I'd say take your gift and leave!" Judge Spinner pointed out. "So Mr. Kez… is the State dismissing its charges?"

"Yeah… why not?" Kez asked, and his voice… it suddenly slammed into Dusty like a brick wall collapsing on top of him. Wait! He RECOGNIZED that voice! But he was positive he had NEVER met this helicopter before! So… just what was going on here? "State dismisses all charges…" Kez said softly.

"Well then… I hereby declare you innocent of the murder of Kane Altmore Mr. Prowler! You're free to go! And don't look a gift car in the mouth!" Spinner ordered, slapping his gavel down. "We WILL be watching you! You can't be tried for your previous thefts… but any new thefts are fair game!"

"You're off the hook!" Dusty declared, smiling at Ron here.

"Yeah but… Desi will hate me for being the Crimson Mask!" Ron replied worriedly here.

"Are you nuts?" Desiree asked, driving up to him now. "You should've told me this SOONER Ron! Awww! To think you'd steal things for me! I LOVE high adventure and I'd love to get in on this whole art theft thing! I mean come on! You send advance notice to all your targets so you play fair! It's not really criminal if you tell them ahead of time!" Desiree gushed over her husband, who gave her a puzzled look here.

"Uh… actually I was thinking of starting up an organization to help rehabilitated criminals." Ron replied, cringing a bit here.

"Awww! Even better!" Desiree gushed again, kissing him now. "Thanks, Dusty! I KNEW you'd get my husband off the hook! But I NEVER knew my husband had this secret side to him! It's rather exciting!"

"No problem." Dusty smiled, nodding at the happy couple (and just hoping the Crimson Mask had truly seen his last heist). Behind them though, Dusty could see Kez hopping towards the courtroom doors. Deciding he'd play his gamble, he excused himself and followed after the chopper. "Hey!" he called. "Wait!" But Kez didn't seem to acknowledge him as he kept hopping onward. "Nick! Nick Lopez!" Dusty uttered, hoping that would strike a chord with the bouncing helicopter.

As if he'd struck an invisible wall, Kez halted in his tracks, and stood perfectly still without turning around to face Dusty. "You're Nick Loopin' Lopez… aren't you?" Dusty asked. "I recognized your voice! It's you… isn't it?"

Kez still didn't turn around, but did finally speak. "'Officer' Nick Lopez died Crophopper… you know that." No Jerkhopper this time… just Crophopper.

"But you said you came back… what's your connection to me?" Dusty asked.

"You should know that, Crophopper." His voice was hardening here again. "But if you can't figure it out… it's none of your damn business!"

"Um… it kind of is if you're out to get me!" Dusty pointed out.

"Heh… I'm lettin' ya go for now…" was all Kez said in response. "But I'll be back! You can count on it!"

"Just tell me if you are Nick Lopez or not! Blade would be… he'd be beside himself to know you're still alive!" Dusty tried now. "He was your partner after all!" This elicited another lengthy pause from Kez, who seemed to be contemplating something.

"Nick Lopez died, Jerkhopper, got that? He was killed by… you know what? What difference does it make? What's done is done. You can't change the past! My name is Kez! And I WILL see you again!" Without another word, Kez continued hopping for the door now, leaving Dusty with more questions than answers. That voice was so similar to Nick Lopez's! But what was he doing alive… why hadn't he told Blade? What had happened in the years since his "death?" He seemed to insinuate he'd been killed… but what was actually going on here? Was there more to Nick's death than even Blade knew?

"Dusty! Thank you SO much for getting to the bottom of this! It was that slippery Clutchly all along!" The words were Miles Axlerod's, as the happy Range Rover was beside him now. "So… the only reason my vase was stolen to create an alibi for that slimy Rolls?"

"Seems like it." Dusty smiled over at Axlerod here.

"What a dirty bugger he was! But we got to the bottom of it… or more correctly, you did!" Miles grinned here. "If there is EVER anything I can do to repay you for this… you don't hesitate to let me know, OK?" Axlerod asked here.

"Hey thanks Miles. I appreciate that… but you'd do the same for me. That's what friends do!" Dusty exclaimed.

"Hahah! I suppose it is, yes! Anyway! Let's celebrate a successful conclusion to this case! Dinner on me! Shall we?" Axlerod asked.

"Mind if I invite a friend or two?" Dusty asked with a smile, thinking specifically of Spray Kane here.

"Of course not, of course not!" the British Range Rover waved off this suggestion with a flap of his wheel. "Let's get going then! I'm starved!"

"Yeah… let's go." Dusty agreed, smiling, though his mind was still on Nick Lopez… if that was truly him. He'd need to pick Spray's brain and see if the FBI agent had any contacts in law enforcement agencies that could elaborate on Nick's death. Somehow… Nick had come to hate him for something or other… but then he'd bore a grudging respect for him at he end of the trial. Why? What had changed? There was something deeper going on here… and Dusty needed to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible! Not just for his sake… but Blade's as well…


	29. Chapter 29: Disaster at Dusk Bridge

**Author's Note: **So I'm back from my trip! Had a great time, but I picked up a cold along the way, sadly. Still, the big finale of my story is about to commence now, so I hope you all enjoy it! :D Everything will be answered in this finale, and it should be a great ride! :D

**Back to the Story**

Dusty was reading an old newspaper after the New Year had landed with its usual festivities and fanfare. This time, Blackthorn had accepted Dusty's invitation to spend Christmas in Propwash, and it had the first time the "trio" had been truly reunited. Dusty, Larry, and Blackthorn had spent Christmas in Propwash Junction with Skipper and the denizens. Toasts had been made, and Dusty was pleased to see a much more relaxed and natural Blackthorn celebrating with them. The Maserati finally seemed like he was "home," and that was the greatest gift Dusty had ever received on any Christmas, seeing his friend that way.

It was now about a month later, heading into February. Several months had passed since Dusty's encounter with Kez. Unfortunately, Spray hadn't been able to turn up any irregularities in Nick Lopez's death. There had been one lead though… and it had been significant. Nick was last seen with a female plane at a café the morning he died. While Spray's contact couldn't be certain… some had said it was Dahlia Whittaker… Dusty's old flame. The timeline was eerie as well… Nick died right around the time Dahlia disappeared… a few days before in fact. What the connection was, Spray couldn't say at the moment.

Thus it was Dusty found himself reading an old article about Nick "Loopin'" Lopez. Dusty hadn't informed Blade just yet about what he'd found out. There were still too many questions he hadn't answered yet… and it was no sense raising Blade's hopes about the possibility of Nick being alive until Dusty was certain. Nick Lopez seemed like an affable guy… and a real ladies' helicopter too. While he and "Blazin'" Blade both had their share of admirers, Nick seemed to act on it more than Blade had.

A soft voice clearing her throat caused Dusty to look up, and his heart froze as his eyes came to rest on Iris. "Iris?" Dusty asked softly. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello Dusty." Iris gave him a sweet smile, causing Dusty to smile back at her, despite himself. "How was your New Year's?"

"Oh… good… can I help you?" he asked.

"Yes… as a matter of fact. I've come seeking you again. The final part of my training is about to commence… and it's in an area you're quite familiar with." She informed him.

"Uh… area?" Dusty asked now.

"Yes… the final stage of my training will take place at Piston Peak." Iris said with a smile.

"How do you know I'm connected with Piston Peak?" Dusty asked suspiciously. He'd never mentioned that to her.

"Well… I spoke with some of the staff there…" Iris replied, but Dusty felt as if this was a lie for some reason. Iris had averted her gaze, and looked at his wall instead. "It requires remote isolation in cold weathers… and provided I pass… I become the head of my clan." She informed him, studying some of his racing models on his shelves. "Are these yours?" she asked now.

"Uh yeah… yeah they are." Dusty confirmed. "And let me guess… you want me there again?"

"If you wouldn't mind… your friends are looking forward to seeing you again, you know." Iris smiled over at him here in that subdued fashion that somehow still managed to radiate great warmth. Once again, in spite of himself, Dusty found he was smiling too.

"You still haven't answered my previous question about how you know me." Dusty stated here.

She locked eyes with him, and familiarity flooded Dusty now like a cascading waterfall, bathing him in its cool waters. "No I didn't… if I pass this final step… I'll tell you everything." She said.

"Everything? There's more to this story than I thought…" he trailed off here, trapped in her eyes.

"Yes… and this time I'll keep my promise. I wasn't ready to tell you before… but now… you deserve that much. This is your place, is it?" she asked, finally breaking the gaze.

"Oh… yes! Yes it is!" He watched her as she studied it carefully, wondering about this. Was she curious for more than just the casual reasons?

"It's nice…" was all she said… but Dusty somehow thought there was more to that sentence that never made it past her lips.

"Seen Dahlia recently?" Dusty asked now.

"No… I'm afraid I haven't been able to get in contact with her." Iris shook her head here.

"Pity." Dusty watched as she continued gazing at his room, her eyes resting on his Wings Around the Globe Rally map. "I'll do it." He said now.

"Huh?" she asked, blinking to look at him here.

"I'll do it. I'll go with you to Piston Peak and let you do this final training thing." Dusty shrugged slightly with his pontoons.

"Great. Three days' time, Piston Peak." Iris responded with another smile. "I should probably get going then."

"You could stay." Dusty immediately responded, not sure why he'd said that and regretting it almost immediately.

"I don't think that'd be a good idea." Iris admitted here, shaking her head again. "Thanks for the offer though."

"Still keeping me at wing's length, eh?" Dusty asked.

"And then some for now."

"You know… you can't keep asking me for favors and not reciprocate. I might say no one of these days." Dusty replied after thinking a moment.

"I know… I DO owe you… I won't deny that." She told him here. "I'm sorry, Dusty. I WILL make it up to you somehow… actually… I know how I can I'm just… too afraid and too loyal to try it right now." She stated.

"Well… if you ever need help finding your courage… I'd be willing to assist." He told her, once again not sure of what he was saying.

"Thanks… in time." She told him, turning to leave.

"That time WILL come… right?" Dusty asked now, stopping her for a moment.

"…yes. Yes it will." She acknowledged, and left his hanger now, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Piston Peak… he had to admit, it would be good to see Blade and the firefighters again… and he'd have good support knowing they'd be around; less chance of something happening that way. Still, as much as he wanted to eventually refuse Iris, he knew he'd be going to Piston Peak this weekend. It was inevitable at this point. Plus… seeing Blade might open up the opportunity to discuss Nick… and Dusty wouldn't pass that up.

**Piston Peak National Park**

Piston Peak was covered in beautiful mounds of white snow as Dusty flew over the National Park. "Wow!" he exclaimed, smiling at how peaceful and gorgeous it all looked. Snow moved in swirls from the wind as Dusty ascended up to the Air Attack Base. Iris had said to meet her there, so that's where he was headed. Whether Iris had picked this location because she knew it would put Dusty at ease or not wasn't clear to him, but he figured it was as good a place to start as any.

Thanks to the larger budget allocated to the Air Attack Team by Superintendent Jammer, the base's airfield was plowed and ready to receive traffic when Dusty hove in sight of the familiar tower and hangers that constituted Piston Peak's Air Attack Base. Smiling to himself, Dusty could see the whole crew was lined out along the runway to greet him as he came in for his landing.

His tires bumped along the ground and screeched as he braked and taxied over to the firefighters as he could also see Iris present with them. "Hey champ!" Blade was the first to speak here, smiling widely at his former protégé.

"Blade! It's so good to see you, as always!" Dusty proclaimed happily.

"Shut the hanger door… DUSTY IS BACK!" The squeal came from Dipper, who was arguably his biggest fan, in a creepy kind of way.

"Hey Dipper." Dusty smiled at her. While Dipper clearly had feelings for him, Dusty wasn't exactly sure he'd ever reciprocate in any fashion. The smokejumpers all greeted him with various shouts and exclamations of "Hey!" "Hi!" and "What's up?"

"Is that Dusty?" this came from Maru, who darted out from behind the others with a lopsided grin on his face. "Well, well, well! Look at you! You're looking better than new!"

"Hey Maru!" Dusty replied, grinning back. Dusty owed Maru quite a lot, for without him, his gearbox would still be busted and he might even be grounded today! "How have you been?"

Maru paused, making a show of thinking on the question for a moment. "Better than new!" he finally responded, still grinning, causing some present to chuckle.

"How was your flight?" Windlifter asked.

"Pretty good! I always wanted to see Piston Peak in the winter time! It's beautiful!" Dusty commented, looking around him.

"Certainly is!" Blade agreed, offering a smile here. "So… you're here performing some ritual is it?" he joked. "Doesn't involve fire, right?"

"Absolutely not!" Dusty quickly responded. "And actually no… I'm not the one doing the ritual… Iris is."

"Yeah so I've heard. What exactly does it entail?" Blade asked here.

"Well I'll need to head to the top of Canopy Dome tonight to meditate and get in touch with the spirits." Iris explained.

"Uh… that sounds rather cold!" Dusty pointed out. "Couldn't you freeze to death?"

"If I get careless, yes." Iris replied. "But I won't. I'll bundle up." She reassured Dusty, who wasn't convinced. "Anyway, there's actually a road that goes up there… along with a rope bridge for vehicular traffic… if they're brave enough." Iris smiled here.

"And who's preparing you for your training?" Dusty asked here.

"Sister Beryl of my clan. She's taken over for my mother… given my mother's… current disposition in jail." Iris commented. "You'll meet her tonight at dinner."

"And where are we dining?" Dusty asked.

"I figured a nice meal at the Grand Fusel Lodge would be in order." Iris explained.

"Last time I was there it was a gathering place for the rich and famous." Dusty commented.

"It's… more of a camping lodge, now." Iris explained.

"Blade, would you care to join us for dinner?" Dusty asked.

"Well so long as it's not a snobbish party like it was under Cad's supervision… I'm not one to rub tires with the rich and elites of our society after all." Blade replied.

"Well if it's just campers… that'd be OK, right?" Dusty inquired with a smile, eliciting one from Blade as well.

"Yeah… campers I don't mind mingling with." Blade acknowledged.

"Great! So we can grab some dinner tonight there then, and I guess I'll need a room at the lodge too…"

"Meh! Stay here, at the base! You're always welcome with us, Dusty!" Blade cut in.

"Yeah, true. Why not?" Dusty smiled in response. "Base is fine for me."

"Good." Blade nodded. "That settles that then. We'll have dinner at the Grand Fusel Lodge and return here for the night. I'll get ready to leave and put Windlifter in charge."

"Sounds good!" But Dusty paused as he caught Dipper gazing at him. "Uhh…"

"So is this… a THIRD DATE?" Dipper practically squeaked.

"Uhhh… well…"

"Dipper! Without me, we're gonna need another tanker here at the base! That's gonna be you, OK?" Blade broke in.

"Awww… right! Maybe another time, Dust-muffin!" Dipper grinned, and Dusty gave her an uneasy smile in response as he caught Blade winking at him. His smile became a bit easier now, and he relaxed visibly. Right… well… time to get ready for dinner then!

**The Grand Fusel Lodge**

The Grand Fusel Lodge was much as Dusty remembered it: big, expansive, and a real flavor of the American outdoors as the three aircraft rolled into the structure. The big difference was it was a lot quieter with no party going on in here this time around. Superintendent Jammer had no such desires to host expensive galas, and properly allocated his park's funds to the Piston Peak Air Attack Team, as well as the preservation of the park.

"Wow! What a difference a few years makes, huh?" Dusty asked as he marveled at the much more subdued atmosphere in here.

"I like it… no needless wasting of funds." Blade replied. All three were met by a solemn looking Chevy Camaro towards the entrance of the dining area.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Laurence Ailes and I will be your host tonight." Despite his attempt at speaking in a French accent, Dusty recognized him immediately.

"Uh… Larry?" Dusty asked.

"Hey Duster… uh… I mean! Hello good sir!" Larry quickly corrected himself now. "I am Laurence Ailes now, concierge extraordinaire at the Grand Fusel Lodge!"

"Um… you got a new job?" Dusty asked with confusion.

"Indeed, I have… and I have turned over a new leaf! No more scams… no more girl chasing… just my new, enlightened self!" Larry declared, even as he stole a glance in Iris's direction.

"Um… yeah… right." Dusty rolled his eyes here. "Why don't you show us to our table?"

"Indeed, I was thinking the same wing… thing!" Larry corrected himself again, as he seemed to be admiring Iris's wings. This elicited a sigh from Dusty as the Camaro began leading them to their table now. Already waiting for them was a squat and older looking single engine plane.

"Sister Beryl, I take it?" Dusty asked as they took their places around the table.

"Indeed yes… nice to meet you." Beryl offered them a warm smile in return. "I will be helping Sister Iris to complete her training and help her ascend to leader of our clan."

"Hm… you know Windlifter was talking about the spirits and stuff around here… can you actually speak with them, Iris?" Dusty asked, looking over at her now.

"I could yes." She smiled back in response.

"And… have you managed to successfully channel a spirit since that time I last saw you?" Dusty continued.

"I have in fact, yes. I've been getting better at it." Iris confirmed.

"Huh… um…" Dusty trailed off here as he thought about something. Could she possibly channel Nick Lopez? If it failed… did that mean Nick was still alive? Looking over at Blade now as he studied the menu, Dusty wondered if he should bring Kez up… "Say Blade…" Dusty began, causing Blade to shift his eyes over to the plane. "Um… could you maybe… tell me what happened when you found Nick's body?"

Blade stared at Dusty here, and the plane was worried he'd said the wrong thing, as an awkward moment or two passed with nothing said between them. "Why do you want to know?" Blade finally asked.

"Uh you know… just curious…" Dusty stammered, trying to maintain a steady voice.

"He was unresponsive when I got there… lying in a crumpled heap. I tried to revive him but…" Blade closed his eyes and shook his head. "EMTs arrived and rushed him to the hospital, but they announced he had died shortly after arrival."

"But he was still alive when you found him?" Dusty asked.

"Barely…" Blade replied softly, opening his eyes here. That was worth noting… Nick had still been alive at the time of his crash… had he somehow faked his death?

"Anything odd about his crash?" Dusty continued.

"Well…" Blade said thoughtfully. "You know I always found the crash itself strange… Nick was the BEST at flying, OK? He could loop through the strongest winds and never faltered no matter how bad the weather conditions. He made me look like an amateur. That's why I just found it so hard to believe… hard to believe a mere freak crosswind would take him down like that… he was too good a flyer for that! I'd seen him pull off his signature loop in the middle of a gale, OK? So for him to have been caught off guard like that… it just didn't make any sense to me… it hurt… knowing he'd been killed by something so stupid…" Blade's voice became lower here… hints of sadness coming through as he spoke. "Nick was a hell of a flyer… OK? That's why I don't understand… there HAD to be something wrong with him that day!" the helicopter insisted now. "He'd never crash in a freak crosswind!"

"What hospital was he taken to?" Dusty inquired.

"One of the ones in LA… Sinai something or other I think." Blade responded.

"OK… I'm sorry about his death…" Dusty said softly here. He'd never met Nick before… and the only connection he had to the chopper was his connection to Blade. If Kez was Nick… what did he have against Dusty? What was the connection? It wasn't adding up… Kez said he thought Dusty was how did he put it? Carefree and arrogant and… what else had he said? Dusty couldn't recall now.

Larry finally showed up to take their orders now, and Dusty decided to terminate the Nick conversation. He just couldn't bring himself to tell Blade about Kez yet… he didn't need that right now. After Iris's training… he'd open up about it. But not now… Blade was in enough pain about Nick as it was… best to let the past stay the past for now…

**Later That Night... **

The first sensation Dusty became aware of was of a rushing stream… an urge… falling water… and as his eyes pried themselves up, he recognized he was in his dark hanger on the air attack base. The green numbers of his digital clock glowed 10:45 PM at him in a sickly light. That urge he'd been feeling was his need to leak oil. Groaning as he came awake, he shivered a little in the winter cold and headed outside to look for the base's restroom. Snow crunched under his wheels as he could see a plane in the distance, heading his way. It wasn't Iris… she had gone off to her training at Canopy Dome by now. Squinting in the darkness, Dusty could see it was Sister Beryl. "Sister Beryl! Why up so late?" Dusty asked.

"Couldn't sleep." Beryl replied. "I wanted to make sure everything will be ready for Sister Iris's return. There is much still to do on my end after all." The shorter plane explained. "What are you doing out so late?"

"Restroom break." Dusty smiled.

"Ahh yes! Well stay warm!" Beryl told him.

"I'm a little worried about Iris… it's so cold out here!" Dusty stated, shivering again.

"She'll be fine… don't worry." Beryl smiled at him. "She's made adequate preparations."

"I hope so… anyway… I'm gonna hit the bathroom!" Dusty put in, and made a beeline for the base's restrooms. He was just finishing up his business a few minutes later when suddenly, a shriek split the air, and Dusty turned, racing out into the night to see what was going on. He nearly ran right into Beryl, who in the process of fainting. What Dusty saw beyond her froze his oil cold and brought him to a complete halt.

What looked like Iris was lying about 30 feet from Beryl, her body upside down, and an elaborate ceremonial sword sticking out of her belly. "Iris?" Dusty whispered, trembling before he realized something was different… it wasn't Iris… the body paint was red… and as Dusty moved himself around to look at the face, he could see it clear as day… it was HER! It was his high school girlfriend! It was DAHLIA! "What? What's going… Dahlia?" Dusty asked in a choked voice, tears springing to his eyes as the deep, throaty growl of the base's fire warning siren began to blare. A fire?

"Attention all aircraft! We have reports that Dusk Bridge is on fire! Repeat, Dusk Bridge is on fire!" Patch called over the loudspeaker system. The base began stirring as lights started to kick on in the various hangers. Dusk Bridge? That was that old rope bridge that led out to Canopy Dome! But that…

Blade appeared now, along with Cabbie, Windlifter, and Dipper as they each emerged from their hangers. "What the HELL?" Blade asked upon seeing the dead Dahlia. "Dusty what on Earth…?"

"I don't know! I was going to the restroom and heard Beryl shrieking, and when I came out here, I saw her lying there! But there's no time! Someone call the police! I think… I think the killer set Dusk Bridge on fire to prevent pursuit! I think the killer is after Iris!" Dusty shouted in a half panic.

"But it's night… and Canopy Dome… that's hairy…" Cabbie stated.

"Doesn't matter! We got a civilian in danger out there!" Blade responded. "I'll go on my own! I can navigate that area in the dark!"

"No way! I'm coming with you!" Dusty interjected.

"Negative, champ! You don't know that area well! It's too dangerous! Flying at night's a death sentence!" Blade replied.

"No! I HAVE to go! If she's in danger… I have to save her! Please! I can do this! Please Blade!" Dusty pleaded, and Blade paused, knowing there was no real time for arguing. "I'm afraid the killer could be after her! We don't have time for this!"

"Fine! Let's load and go!" Blade ordered, relenting.

"I'm already loaded!" Dusty was starting his engine up as he moved for the runway now. Blade's rotors began beating the air, kicking up drifts of snow that swirled around him and gave him a ghostly image as he lifted into the night skies.

Dusty roared down the runway, and the two were off now, heading for Canopy Dome. Already in the distance they could see the horizon glowing… it served to lead them right to the burning bridge. Dusty barely had time to think about why Dahlia was here and why she was now dead. The crackling flames licked over the ropes and lapped along the boards, threatening to send the whole bridge tumbling into the depths of the valley where Blade had pulled Dusty out of the river two years ago. Dusty knew that somewhere down there… the old mine stood.

"I'll take the first run!" Blade said. "You follow me!" Blade moved in, his chopper's powerful engine emitting the distinctive "thuck thuck thuck" as he began dropping his payload along the bridge. The red retardant sprayed the bridge and began dousing the flames.

"I'm going in!" Dusty shouted, once he could see Blade was gaining altitude after completing his run. About half the bridge was still on fire… but Dusty felt confident he could do this.

"Be careful champ! You've never fought fires here! There's a lot of trees along the ridge! Don't get caught by one!" Blade cautioned.

"Copy that!" Dusty smirked, and began his dive, zooming downwards towards the burning bridge. He was focused intently on his job, and narrowed his eyes as he commenced his attack run, the retardant falling in a red stream out of his tank like falling smoke as he executed his run perfectly. The flames were extinguished and died out under the suffocating cloud, and Dusty began to climb along the ridge now, even as the bridge itself began to creak and groan, the ropes starting to part and snap with sickening whipping sounds.

"I'm gonna do a pass over the Dome… see if I can see Iris!" Dusty radioed now.

"Negative! Pull up! Pull up! Too many trees! Gain altitude!' Blade ordered.

Sure enough, Dusty could see the dark outlines of trees looming up ahead of him like jagged teeth, and the plane moved desperately to obey Blade's instructions, trying frantically to climb. He applied max torque, and began to redline it in order to conduct his climb. For a moment, the trees whizzed beneath him, some of their tops barely slapping his pontoons and it looked like he'd be in the clear… but suddenly, a massive fir rose up in his vision, and he yelled out as he tried to bank, but it was too late. His right wing clipped the branches, and Dusty began to spin violently, plummeting back towards the canyon.

"Champ! Dusty!" Blade cried, heading over towards him now in a steep dive.

"I… I can't!" Dusty called, his wings no longer generating lift as his engine stalled and his prop began coughing and spinning intermittently.

"Get out of it! Get out of it!" Blade urged, trying to catch up with his falling protégé. Just then, Dusty dove under the bridge, which finally gave way with a gut-wrenching snap, and began falling on top of the helpless plane. Blade was about to lasso Dusty with his hoist when the bridge struck the plane hard, interfering with Blade's shot and causing the helicopter to watch powerlessly as his friend was thrown down towards the river below like a toy, his body spinning and cartwheeling as he fell…

"DUSTY! NOOOOOO!" Blade yelled, pushing his nose down to commence another dive and try to catch up with Dusty… but he already knew he'd be too late… Dusty was rapidly vanishing in the darkness below… becoming a mere speck and then disappearing altogether as the canyon walls rushed by Blade, the helicopter pushing himself to the max to try and do something… anything… to save Dusty's life…

**A Dark Room... **

The ringing in his ears caused Simon Blackthorn to jolt awake, giving out a soft grunt as he blinked, realizing his phone was ringing. Fumbling around in the darkness, Blackthorn finally managed to depress his wheel on his phone's pedal. "H-hello?" he murmured groggily.

"Thorny! Thorny!" Larry Fenders' frantic voice came over the receiver. "Thorny! It's terrible! There's been a terrible accident! Dusty's hurt badly! He might even be dead! I DON'T KNOW! YOU NEED TO COME NOW!" Larry pleaded, sobbing.

"Dusty?" Immediately, Blackthorn came awake, his body going stiff as he stood a bit taller on his wheels his eyes widening. "What happened?"

"He fell into a river! He's not doing good! You need to get out here!"

"Where are you?" Blackthorn asked, snapping the lights on in his room, which caused him to blink.

"Piston Peak National Park!" Larry rattled off.

"OK… OK just tell him to hang tight… I'm coming as FAST as I can, OK?" Blackthorn asked, hanging up. As he looked around his room and tried to figure out what he'd need for this trip, panic was gripping the black Maserati. No… Dusty… NO! He didn't get his best friend back only to lose him now! He HAD to do something! He wasn't sure what just yet… but he was going there regardless, and nothing was going to stop him!

Starting to frantically grab a few things, the Maserati muttered under his breath "Dusty… please be OK… please be OK…"


	30. Chapter 30: Dusty and Dahlia

**Author's Note: **Wow! I've broken 300 pages with this chapter! That's novel length at this point! This has gotta be the longest story I've ever written, and I'm very proud of it! Thank you so much to all my readers, for without you, there wouldn't be a story! So thank you so much for your continued interest in making this story possible! :D

**Back to the Story**

White, overpowering and blinding greeted Dusty's eyes the next time he cracked them open. White everywhere… it was hard to distinguish anything at first. But then… red moved into his vision. Blurry red… was he… dead? Underwater? Somewhere else entirely? "Am I… dead?" he managed to ask weakly as his eyes began to focus, and Blade Ranger slowly slid into view, smiling at him slightly.

"You almost were! How ya feeling, champ?" the helicopter asked warmly, his smile growing as he watched Dusty come around.

"Ugh… like… I dunno… like I have a cold… ow… pain…" Dusty trailed off here, looking askance at the ground.

"Well when I managed to pull you out of that river I… I wasn't sure you'd make it at first. I couldn't even tell if you were alive or dead until I'd gotten you down on solid ground. Your vital signs were weak… I uh…" Blade paused here to collect himself. "I called for immediate support. Rushed you to the hospital as fast as I could. They stabilized you and you slept all night… wasn't sure you were gonna wake up until now." Blade explained.

"So… how bad is it?" Dusty asked with concern.

"Well… you're gonna need new pontoons… you're running a cold, you're gonna need a new prop, and you're gonna need surgery to fix some of your bent wing ribs but… you actually came out relatively lightly off considering the fall you took. The water absorbed the brunt of your impact." Blade laid it out for the plane as Dusty listened to him with a subdued expression on his face.

'Oh… wow… what's the earliest I could be out of here by?" Dusty asked now.

"Two days they're saying. Your surgery is scheduled for later today, and they have new parts in stock for you for when it's done. They can do it all in one go." Blade answered with another smile.

"And… Iris?" Dusty brought up, suddenly remembering her. "Is she… is she OK?"

"Yeah… about that… she's been arrested for murdering her sister." Blade responded gravely.

"What? No that's… that's not…" Dusty tried, but broke himself off with a sigh.

"Dusty… how well do you really know her? There was a witness who SAW her stab her sister! She wasn't even AT Canopy Dome! She was at the Air Attack Base!" Blade continued.

"What? That's not… that's not possible…" Dusty whispered. "No… it can't be…"

"Dusty the police are saying it's true."

"But the bridge! What set the bridge on fire?" Dusty asked now.

"That was definitely arson. However, we haven't caught who was responsible for it… but the police suspect Iris as well." Blade replied.

"No… that doesn't make any sense… why would she just kill her sister? Her TWIN sister? I mean she was on the verge of becoming leader of her clan! This doesn't make ANY sense!" Dusty raised his voice, but immediately let out a cry as pain shot through his side and he winced.

"Take it easy! You can't push yourself just yet!" Blade chided. "Just try and relax… OK?"

"Yeah…" Dusty agreed. "But someone's got to help her… I have to help her…" he insisted.

"You aren't going anywhere right now. Just… take it easy, OK? You shouldn't stress yourself out before your surgery." Blade cautioned. "It'll raise your oil pressure… and right now that's not safe."

"I… I know…" Dusty conceded, looking sadly off to the side again. "Thanks Blade… thanks for saving me… I owe you…"

"Nothing." Blade cut in. "You'd do the same for me. We're firefighters and I know you." Blade smiled warmly here, but suddenly, Blade turned, and was looking at two newcomers. Dusty's eyes swiveled to join Blade's gaze, and he smiled as best as he could when he saw Simon Blackthorn and Spray Kane standing in the entrance of his room. "Simon! Spray!" Dusty exclaimed softly.

"Crophopper… are you OK?" Blackthorn asked with concern as he drove into the room, followed closely by Spray.

"Yeah… yeah I'll be fine after surgery and some parts replacements." Dusty explained. "I'm running a fever too…" Dusty explained.

"But nothing serious… right?" the Maserati asked, rolling up to Dusty's berth now.

"No… I don't think so…" Dusty replied, shaking his head slightly.

"I'm so relieved to hear that!" Blackthorn breathed. "When Larry called me last night in a panic… I wasn't even sure if you were alive or dead." He confessed here.

"Yeah I… I lost consciousness from the impact." Dusty admitted. "Couldn't call you to let you know…"

"It's OK… seeing you alive is the most important thing to me right now." Blackthorn informed him, eliciting a smile from Dusty.

"Thanks Simon… that means a lot…" Dusty replied.

"Of course. I'm not going to lose you so soon after getting you back after all." Blackthorn responded with a smile of his own.

"Yeah… good to see you too, Spray." Dusty turned his attention over to Spray here, glad he had support from his friends.

"Anytime. Blackthorn called me before his flight out here. Said it might be a good idea for me to head out and see you." Spray answered with a smile of his own.

"I appreciate it… hey! Do my friends in Propwash know about me yet?" Dusty asked, looking around the room.

"I talked to uh… Skipper I think his name was on the phone earlier this morning." Blade spoke up now. "He said he's coming out here to see you soon. He's glad you're OK."

Dusty appeared relieved at this news, and nodded. "Good… It'll be good to see him here… help me through the surgery."

"I'll be staying too, champ. Not leaving your side till I know you're OK." Blade added with a smile. "A firefighter never abandons one of his own."

"Thanks, Blade." Dusty returned the smile as best he could. "I appreciate that…" He turned to look at Blackthorn now. "Simon… can I ask you for a favor?"

"Anything, Crophopper." Blackthorn replied seriously.

"A friend of mine was arrested for murder last night. I was trying to save her when I ended up in this crash… I'm… I'm worried that she won't have anyone to defend her in court… could… could maybe you… take her case until I get better?" Dusty asked hopefully. "I know it's a lot to ask… and that you're a prosecutor not a defense attorney but… could you maybe just help her? It would mean a lot to me if you did…"

Blackthorn seemed to be thinking about this. "How close a friend is she?" he inquired.

"Uh… well… I feel like she knows me but… no I KNOW she knows me somehow but… I don't know how exactly because she refuses to tell me. But… I don't want to see her in jail." Dusty outlined.

"Hm… odd. You're sure she's innocent?" the Maserati asked next.

"Yes… I'm sure." Dusty stated.

Blackthorn narrowed his eyes. "How do you know?"

"Because… she wouldn't kill her sister…" Dusty replied.

"Her sister?" Blackthorn asked in surprise.

"Yes… it's just not her… she had so much going for her… she's not a killer… please… help her, Simon." Dusty implored softly.

"Crophopper… I can't judge if she's innocent or not until she's had a trial."

"But…" Dusty began to protest, but Blackthorn glared at him.

"Crophopper… you should know… blind faith in clients is a dangerous thing. Remember Matt Monarch?" Blackthorn asked him now. Dusty closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes… of course I do." He whispered.

"Good… I will not judge this friend of yours until after I have the facts. I must remain impartial until I speak with her and can judge her for myself. It's nothing personal Crophopper… but as an attorney, I need to find the truth. That's volo pro veritas, after all." Blackthorn explained.

"I know…" Dusty agreed softly. "Just… will you at least talk to her? Her name is Iris…"

"I can do that, yes. But me? A defense attorney?" the Maserati asked skeptically. Dusty smiled here.

"I think you'd be great at it… in all honesty. This is your chance… your chance to live your father's life… hard to pass up… right? Live your childhood dream…" Dusty continued smiling here.

Blackthorn seemed a little caught off guard by this, staring at Dusty in surprise, and said nothing at first. "You'll do great." Dusty insisted.

"I… I suppose so. Anyway, I guess I'd best be off." Blackthorn responded. "Get well soon, OK? I don't want to have to do your job for TOO long, after all." He winked at his friend, and nodded at Spray.

"Take care of yourself, Dusty. Good luck with your surgery. I'll be pulling for you." Spray told him, and turned to depart with Blackthorn. Dusty watched them go with a smile on his face, knowing Blackthorn would have this well in hand until he could leave the hospital and take this case up…

**V6 Valley Jail**

The detention center where Iris was being held was much smaller than the one in Los Angeles (being that this one was more a county jail than anything else), and Blackthorn was grateful he wouldn't be recognized here. Most of the staff at the LA Detention Center knew his face quite well, but out here, Blackthorn could operate relatively easily without fear of being recognized. Iris was being held in a simple but large cell for planes, the only one this jail had in fact.

"Ms. Iris, is it?" Blackthorn asked as he drove up to her cell. "I'm Simon Blackthorn, a friend of Dusty's. This is FBI agent Spray Kane, consulting with me on this case. I'm here because Crophopper asked me to help you. Er… um… specifically to be your lawyer."

"I see…" Iris responded. Blackthorn narrowed his eyes. He could've sworn she looked familiar to him somehow… but he couldn't place her right now.

"Perhaps you could tell me what happened last night?" the Maserati suggested.

"Yes… of course. I went to Canopy Dome around 9:30 PM for my training to begin. I never left after that, as I was meditating until shortly after the bridge caught fire. I uh… I was able to make my way off the plateau towards the Air Attack Base. When I got there… the police were already present and… they arrested me. I… don't know why." She confessed here, but Blackthorn wasn't satisfied with this story. It was full of holes and vague. She was somehow able to get off the plateau with a bridge burning?

"Crophopper mentioned your sister was the victim… did you kill her?" the Maserati asked point blank. He was so used to criminals lying, and while he was certain Iris wasn't being straight with him, she didn't really look like a killer… or a particularly vicious plane…

"No!" she gasped, eyes going wide. "No of course not! I would never…" she trailed off sadly here, and looked down at the floor with tears starting to form in her eyes. She appeared genuinely devastated at her sister's death…

"Any idea who might have?" Blackthorn continued.

"I don't really… know…" she trailed off here, not looking at him. This caused him to narrow his eyes.

"My friend said he's convinced he knows you from somewhere before. Is this true?" He decided to try another tack here, as perhaps she'd open up to him about how she really knew Dusty.

"Yes well… that's because Dusty DID know me before all this… years ago in fact…" Iris began chewing her bottom lip with consternation. "I first met him when he was in high school… and I'm afraid I deceived him terribly… which is why I can't tell him the truth. I feel terrible for what I did… and if he ever found out…he would hate…" She trailed off here, not wanting to finish that sentence.

Blackthorn studied her indifferently, but his mind was working rapidly here. "He'll only continue to suffer until he knows the truth, you know."

"I-I know but… I'm… I'm a coward… and because I felt so sorry for someone… I couldn't… ever tell him. I don't want him to hate me!" Iris said now, looking at Blackthorn with desperate eyes.

"All right… and you look me in the eyes right now… and tell me you didn't kill your sister." Blackthorn stated resolutely.

"I didn't kill my sister. I would never hurt Dahlia." Iris responded immediately, causing Blackthorn to blink at the name, but he remained otherwise impassive.

"All right… good. Well Ms. Iris… I'll take your case… on ONE condition." Blackthorn stated now, relaxing a bit more here.

"What is it?" Iris asked.

"When you see Dusty next time, you come clean and tell him EVERYTHING, deal? It's not right you've concealed the truth from him for so many years. I want him to know just what you've been keeping from him. No more secrets. No more lies. You tell him everything and I'll defend you in court." Blackthorn offered.

Iris considered this a moment, then nodded. "Yes… yes it's time I told him everything. I've hidden it from him long enough. I accept your offer. You defend me, I tell him everything." Iris agreed.

"Splendid! Well then, I'll take your case! I'm going to head out to the park now to look around and investigate. Just sit tight… I er… I'm sure we'll do fine tomorrow in court." Blackthorn stated. He'd never had to represent a client like this, and it was a little foreign to him, and he only hoped he'd be up for this.

Turning from her cell now after she thanked him, Blackthorn began speaking with Spray as they exited the jail. "Dahlia… what was the victim's name in this case?" Blackthorn asked. "Because I think I know where I've seen Iris before… or someone like her."

"Police said it was Dahlia Whittaker, twin sister of Iris Fayette." Spray answered.

"Whittaker… I KNEW it!" Blackthorn exclaimed as they headed out into the daylight. "Dahlia Whittaker… she's one bad plane… except we could never prove it." Blackthorn muttered.

"Why? How do you know her?" Spray asked here, surprised. "You never mentioned her to me."

"Yeah… because it was my first case… and it was a disaster." Blackthorn stated acidly. "My first case I was prosecuting a young plane… uh… Gary Slipstream. He'd been convicted for murdering his girlfriend, Dahlia Whittaker, by throwing her off a bridge. Her body had never been found though. Anyway, while being transported to a prison that was capable of carrying out his death sentence, he escaped and was arrested shortly after for having murdered ANOTHER plane… Dahlia's half-sister, Valery, a police officer. Because he was now a cop killer, Gary was pretty universally maligned, and I decided to prosecute his case as my first ever. Anyway… the case was a disaster…" Blackthorn explained.

"What… happened?" Spray asked slowly.

"Well throughout the course of it, we found that back when everyone thought Dahlia had died, it was part of this elaborate scheme she had developed with her half-sister to steal one of her father's priceless jewels. He was a jeweler you see, and she apparently needed the cash. She convinced Gary to 'kidnap' her and hold her for 'ransom.' The ransom was to be the diamond that Dahlia was after. Her half-sister was in on the plot though. They were supposed to split the money three ways… but you know the old saying… three's company and all that. Dahlia and Valery decided to cut Gary out of the take, and so, when Valery showed up with the diamond as part of the exchange, she drew her gun and shot Gary in his wing. But Dahlia apparently didn't want to share the profits at all, and jumped off the bridge according to Gary. He confessed it all to us during his trial. He took the fall for her 'murder', and he later escaped because he wanted to meet Valery and ask why she had betrayed him. He also wanted to know if Dahlia was still alive or not." Blackthorn stopped at a traffic light, and Spray did the same, thinking things over. Dahlia… THIS was Dusty's old girlfriend? She sounded like serious trouble!

"So anyway, Gary claims he contacted Valery after his escape. He claims he talked to Valery and left her in peace, but she later ended up dead close to the scene of his meeting. He was arrested shortly afterwards thanks to a witness who phoned the police. As it was… this witness turned out to be Dahlia Whittaker, who was using a false name." Blackthorn explained. "Through cross-examination, we determined that Dahlia had found out that Valery had got in contact with Gary and planned to finally come clean with him. Gary's defense attorney speculated that Dahlia planned to kill her half-sister to keep her silent but there was just one problem… the defense couldn't prove any of it. Dahlia wasn't talking, her alibi was solid, and the defense wasn't able to crack her. So Gary was called to testify again. He refused to give up his old girlfriend though, and kept insisting it was Valery he had met with. He began hacking terribly, even starting to cough up some oil. Concerned, I called for an immediate halt to the trial… but it was too late…" Blackthorn trailed off here as they turned down a street of the small town, the Maserati apparently lost deep in thought as they began ascending the mountains towards Piston Peak National Park.

"Who was the defense attorney?" Spray asked with curiosity. "He or she sounds rather good." He commented.

"Uhhh… something Lopez…" Spray stopped as Blackthorn mentioned the name. "Joaquin Lopez I think? Yes… he was pretty good." Spray noted it wasn't Nick… which made sense. Nick was an actor after all…

"So what happened?" Spray asked.

"Well it turns out Gary had taken poison on the stand. He'd been wearing it in a vial around his neck. Dahlia had given it to him and told him if their faith in each other ever waned… they should kill each other by drinking this poison. As Dahlia watched… her old boyfriend hacked his last and tragically died… right there in the courtroom. So… with no way to prove if any of the defense's theories were correct, Dahlia was released…"

"And went on to date Dusty Crophopper…" Spray muttered.

"Eh?" Blackthorn asked, turning to look at Spray now with surprise. "What did you just say?"

"Uh… yeah… she dated Dusty in high school… you wouldn't know that though." Spray stated now.

"WHAT? Are you serious?" Blackthorn asked, stopping now as well as he turned to face Spray.

"Yeah, apparently." Spray confirmed.

"That's insane! Dahlia Whittaker… she's nothing but bad news." Blackthorn commented thoughtfully here, trying to picture Dusty and her.

"Yeah… and what happened to Dahlia after that?" Spray asked now.

"Well… the police managed to get an insider to get close to her… try and learn what he could. He wasn't a cop from what I'd heard, so it made him the ideal informant. He was getting close… real close from what I was told. But then… nothing. The informant apparently died… and we never learned just what he'd found out." Blackthorn explained.

Spray narrowed his eyes at this, his ailerons twitching. "This informant… who was he? You have a name?" Spray asked eagerly.

"No I wasn't involved in that investigation. I distanced myself from my first trial because of how… bad it turned out. But I did pick up bits and pieces from my friends in the LAPD after all. I did still maintain a passing curiosity." Blackthorn told Spray.

"This uh… informant's death… murder was it?" Spray inquired.

"No… an accident as far as I know. Dahlia once again slipped away. She hasn't been seen in… years. Until now of course… when it seems fate finally caught up with her. Now she's the victim." Blackthorn commented wryly.

"Funny you said something earlier… a vial around his neck… can you describe it?" Spray asked now.

"Uhh… it was like… a heart shaped piece of glass… I think…" Blackthorn replied.

"Huh… Dusty mentioned wearing something similar in his relationship with Dahlia. She had given it to him the day they'd met, as a token of their love, or something." Spray commented, having gleaned a few things about Dahlia from Dusty in conversation with him. Blackthorn seemed to blanch a little at this.

"Well that's… a disturbing coincidence. I only hope it didn't contain any poison… he doesn't still have it… does he?" Blackthorn asked thoughtfully here.

"I think he said Dahlia had finally convinced him to give it back to her on their final date… before she vanished. It's funny too, because Dusty also mentioned he had a cold that day… and that his cold medicine was also missing after Dahlia left. He assumed she'd taken it by accident. She claimed she wanted to get the pendant engraved… he wouldn't give it up before that." Spray explained.

"Hm… pity. Sounds like Crophopper could've been in real danger thanks to his association with Ms. Whittaker."

"Yeah well… you do enough bad things… eventually it catches up with you…" Spray replied softly here. "If Dahlia killed the police's informant… it's possible the heat was getting too great on her… and she vanished."

"Stands to reason, yes." Blackthorn extended an antenna now and began dialing a number.

"Who are you calling?"

"Well… if I'm going to play defense attorney for a few days… I'm going to need a prosecutor I can trust. I don't know who's been assigned to this case yet but… I'm not gonna risk taking on an unknown prosecutor my first time defending someone. Not a chance." Blackthorn replied.

"Who are you calling?" Spray inquired.

"You'll see… tomorrow." Blackthorn stated cryptically.

"Hey uh… why don't you go up to Piston Peak and do the investigating on your own? I uh… I need to make some inquires." Spray put in now. "Relevant ones." He quickly added when he caught Blackthorn's look.

"OK… no problem. I'll see you tonight then… we'll go over what we learned." Blackthorn nodded.

"Sounds good! See you then!" Spray exclaimed, and started up his engine to begin flying back down the mountains. "Hey one last thing!" he paused here to look at Blackthorn, who hadn't dialed the final number yet. "You trust Iris?"

A moment's pause here, then Blackthorn nodded. "For now. She doesn't seem like a murderer, nor does she seem like a particularly bad plane… a little deceitful perhaps, but nothing like her sister." Blackthorn concluded.

"Right… well good luck… Mr. Defense Attorney!" Spray smirked here, and took off, causing Blackthorn himself to offer the barest hints of a smile before turning his attention back to his phone call…


	31. Blackthorn The Defense Attorney

Blackthorn gazed at the Air Attack Base as he stood on one of the plowed paths around the airfield. The local police were still running through the crime scene. Dusk Bridge still hadn't been repaired, so investigation of Canopy Dome was out of the question at the moment. Not that the police were too concerned about it… the crime scene was right here on the base's grounds after all.

As it was, a familiar face was actually among the detectives working the case. Blackthorn noticed Detective Crawford talking with the local cops. That was either very good… or very bad… Blackthorn was still going for incognito here, but Crawford was an ally, so the Maserati decided to approach him.

"Crawford!" Blackthorn called, trying to draw his attention from the other detectives.

"Mr. Blackthorn?" Crawford asked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" the Maserati responded with a smile.

"I'm consulting with the local cops since I worked the previous Iris case." Crawford explained.

"Makes sense I suppose. I'm uh…" Blackthorn drove away from the local cops, indicating Crawford should follow. "I'm working with the defendant actually." He said in a lower voice as the Ford drove alongside him.

"In what capacity?" Crawford asked with confusion.

"Uh… I'm her... attorney." Blackthorn finally admitted.

"WHAAAAT? But you're a prosecutor!" Crawford stated, and Blackthorn shushed him.

"Yes… I know. But listen… I'm doing it as a favor to Crophopper… he's indisposed at the moment. So… what are we looking at so far?" he asked in lower tones.

"Huh… you a defense attorney! Never woulda seen that coming!" Crawford confessed. "Ahem anyway… right… so uh… we got a witness who claims she actually saw the defendant stab the victim and commit the murder."

"Who?" Blackthorn asked surreptitiously.

"Beryl… her personal coach and mentor. She's still here if you want to talk to her." Crawford stated. A witness to the murder who had seen the act… this wasn't looking good.

"And who's prosecuting?" Blackthorn continued.

"Well Kez is actually supposed to be taking this one."

"Kez? Isn't this a little out of his district?" Blackthorn stated with confusion.

"Yeah… but he sent in an email request to this district's court almost immediately." Crawford explained.

"Curious… how did he even know about this murder?" Blackthorn mused aloud.

"Who can say? The only problem is… nobody can find him! He's supposed to here working with the local cops but… no one's seen rotor nor landing skid of that helicopter so far. He's not answering his phone, and he's not returning our email inquiries. So as of right now… this case has NO prosecutor." Crawford stated with a shrug.

"Most curious…" Blackthorn admitted. "He requests a case he shouldn't have heard about… yet doesn't show up to prosecute it? Most unusual. I might bring a prosecutor of my own if he's a no show tomorrow." The Maserati outlined.

"Fine by me! Also there's apparently another witness… but he's refusing to talk." Crawford added.

"Who?"

"Uh… Laurence Ailes…" While Blackthorn wasn't fluent in French, he knew enough of it from his travels abroad that he knew Ailes meant Fenders. Larry? Larry was a witness?

"Why is he refusing to talk?" Blackthorn asked.

"Says he saw something incredible… but that he doubts he'd be believed."

"I can of course make him talk tomorrow on the witness stand… just hope he realizes that." Blackthorn muttered.

"He also refuses to tell us exactly where he was last night… seems a little sketchy to me…" Crawford put in.

"Eh… knowing him… which I do… he's not one to murder anybody. Get into plenty of trouble, sure, but not kill anyone. So anyway… what's the crime scene like? What was the cause of death?"

"Well… it's a little strange I have to admit." Crawford informed Blackthorn. "See like… she died from loss of hydraulic fluid after being run through with a ceremonial sword that was part of Iris and Beryl's luggage. But like… her body is covered in dents and pockmarks… almost like she crashed or something. Coroner ruled these injuries weren't cause of death though, and that the stabbing definitely was. But still… she was in a rough state. Impact damage on her left wing, her front is slightly crushed in, and there's dents and marks in various other locations."

"A fight?" Blackthorn asked.

"No… they weren't defensive wounds. Coroner said they were definitely from her hitting something… crashing into something. But exactly what is hard to say. Anyway… a staff was also found next to her body… belonging to Sister Beryl apparently. But Beryl admits part of it is missing. It's supposed to be topped by a violet crystal but… so far, we've found no trace of this crystal, and Beryl claims it was on the staff before she took Iris over to Canopy Dome." Crawford explained.

"Curious… I see what you mean by a strange crime scene. What was the victim doing here exactly?" Blackthorn next asked.

"No one knows… she'd been in hiding we suspect for quite some time… and all of a sudden she shows up here. So your guess is as good as mine." Blackthorn studied the crime scene, and noticed it appeared as if the victim's body had been dragged across the snow to its current resting spot.

"You see those marks in the snow? What do you make of that?" Blackthorn inquired as he nodded at the disturbed areas of snow.

"No idea. She was definitely killed in that spot but… whether she was stabbed right in that exact resting spot is hard to say. I mean hydraulic fluid levels found were inconsistent at best so… was she dragged after being stabbed? Was she pushed and then stabbed? Beryl claims she saw Iris stab her sister then she fainted. So who knows?" Crawford stated. "There's a lot more to this crime scene that we haven't discovered yet."

"Were the dents and marks made post-mortem?" Blackthorn tried now.

"Unknown at this point." Crawford replied. "Logically they would occur BEFORE she was stabbed."

"Right…" Blackthorn trailed off here, looking at the scene. "Motive for murder?"

"We're… having trouble establishing that at the moment. As far as we can tell, the two sisters hadn't seen each other in years!" Crawford said.

"Was there… any indication this was self-defense?" Blackthorn stated now, flashing back to his first trial against Dusty with Ripslinger. If say Dahlia had attacked Iris… might Iris have defended herself? But of course, that also meant Iris was lying about where she was last night too. If she was here and not at Canopy Dome… what was she hiding?

"Well we DID find a dent on the defendant when we arrested her. Seems consistent with her being hit by something, as if in a fight. But as far as self-defense goes… not likely. Beryl reports seeing Dahlia stabbed from behind so… that'd be a stretch for self-defense."

"How odd… so the defendant might have been struck by someone, but the victim's body wounds are all from crashing and not from a fight… how strange." Blackthorn commented thoughtfully.

"You're telling me!" Crawford agreed.

"OK… I'm gonna have a word with Beryl." Blackthorn stated now. Crawford nodded, and the Maserati drove off to the elderly looking squat plane he figured was Beryl. "Excuse me… Sister Beryl?" Blackthorn asked as he drove up.

"Yes… how might I assist you?" the plane replied.

"I'd like to know a few things about what you saw last night. I'm consulting on this case with the police…" It wasn't a total lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either. Still, he needed to keep a low profile for the moment. Couldn't tip his wheel too soon. The more the cops thought he was perhaps prosecuting this case, the better.

"Of course." Beryl smiled, figuring he wouldn't be here if he wasn't who he said he was. "Well I took Iris over to Canopy Dome that night for her training. I returned via Dusk Bridge since it's rather impossible to land or takeoff from Canopy Dome you see! Afterward, I decided to get a nice warm hose down before bed. After I was coming back from this hose down, that's when I saw it! Iris was there… stabbing that poor plane from behind! I shrieked and sad to say I fainted after that. When I came to, the air attack guys were all around me, and I told them what I had seen." Beryl explained.

"Hmm… positive it was Iris?" Blackthorn asked.

"Yes… I could clearly see even in the dim light the gray paint Iris wore… the red was on the other plane getting stabbed." Beryl confirmed.

"Thank you… you've been a good help." Blackthorn smiled amiably here. So… Iris was lying to him about where she was when. She claimed she left after the bridge caught fire… but since it was impossible to take off from Canopy Dome… she most certainly didn't race across a burning bridge! But why would she lie? Things certainly weren't looking good… though Blackthorn was reminded of the time he was accused of murder… and how little inconsistencies had helped Dusty build his case. The crime scene itself Blackthorn found strange. It almost appeared… tampered with. If Dahlia was killed here… why did it look like she was dragged to her murder spot? And why were hydraulic fluids found in inconsistent levels? How did she crash and where did she crash? Why did she crash? Who had struck Iris?

Blackthorn wasn't sure it was enough to necessarily build a solid defense, but it was a start at least. He'd just have to figure things out in court tomorrow… and hope the prosecutor he'd prepared would go easy on him.

**Later That Night...**

Later that evening, Blackthorn had linked up with Spray to go over the case with him and pick his brain, while Spray had some interesting news as well. Between the two of them, they both agreed the crime scene was highly suspicious. But it was tough to argue with what Beryl had witnessed, for unless she'd been sorely mistaken, she had definitely seen Iris stab Dahlia. They discussed possibilities, and how they could prove it tomorrow in court. But most interesting to Spray was what he'd found today with his contacts in the LAPD. As he needed to also bring Dusty up to speed on this, the FBI plane headed to the hospital after his talk with Blackthorn.

Dusty was in recovery after his surgery had ended, and already Spray could see a marked improvement in the firefighter's appearance. New pontoons and prop with a fresh coat of paint were making him look like a new plane, though obviously he couldn't be moving about vigorously for some time now. Blade and Skipper were by his side, along with Sparky. "Hey Dusty!" Spray said as he rolled into his room. "You're looking better!"

"Yeah…" Dusty replied softly, offering a weak smile. "Hanging in there."

"Hey uh… mind if I have a word with you… alone?" he asked, subconsciously looking at Blade without meaning to.

"Oh… uh… sure I guess so." Dusty replied.

"I'll be just outside." Blade stated, turning to face Spray now. "He's still recovering so… just take it easy on him, OK?" the helicopter asked.

"Of course…" Spray stated reassuringly. "Good to see you again, Skipper." The FBI agent nodded at the Corsair, who nodded back and gave a smile.

"Yeah! Always a pleasure, Agent Kane!" Skipper replied, and moved to follow Blade out. Once the room was cleared, Dusty was left alone with the lights turned down low and the black painted plane.

"So… what's up?" Dusty asked, his nose stuffy from his cold.

Spray brought Dusty up to speed on Blackthorn's first case, described Dahlia and Gary and Valery, and finally came to the bit about the informant the police had used to try and get close to Dahlia. "I finally learned his name." Spray stated, having grown solemn long ago in this conversation. "Dusty… Nick Lopez was the LAPD's informant in that case!"

"What?" Dusty asked here, surprised at this. "Nick…?"

"Yes! They must've recruited him thanks to his good looks as an actor and his renown on the show. He was already known as a flirt, and he seemed like the perfect candidate to try and get close to Dahlia to learn if she was behind her half-sister's murder or not. Plus his father was a defense attorney, and was hell bent on bringing Dahlia to justice. Nick was also last seen with Dahlia right before he headed to the studios and crashed."

Dusty thought about this now, shifting his eyes off to the side. "Dusty… when did you meet Dahlia again?"

"Senior year of high school. The second half." Dusty responded blankly here.

"That was what? 2004? 05?" Spray asked.

"05… yeah." Dusty answered quietly.

"January?" Spray continued.

"Yep…" Dusty confirmed.

"That's right around the time Nick died…"

"You know… Blade had mentioned something to me." Dusty spoke up now. "He said Nick was too good a flyer to die in the way he had…"

Spray's ailerons twitched, and he shifted his gaze to look directly at Dusty here. "What are you saying?"

"If Nick met with Dahlia the morning of his death… then maybe… she did something to him. Maybe SHE was why he crashed." Dusty speculated now, sneezing here.

"Hm… you know… if Kez is Nick… it might be worth looking into the hospital that pronounced him dead. If he faked his death for whatever reason… then SOMEONE has to have a record of that." Spray commented thoughtfully, to which Dusty nodded weakly.

"Yeah… and while I don't know entirely why he'd hate me… perhaps… perhaps my relationship with Dahlia has something to do with it." Dusty mused aloud.

"Perhaps…" Spray agreed. "It wouldn't be a stretch."

"Thanks, Spray. Hey… could you send over the court recording of Blackthorn's first case? I'd like to watch it… see Dahlia for myself… and what she was like. I mean if she was as bad as that… then I need to see it for myself. I need to put things in perspective."

"No problem. Well I should probably go… big day in court tomorrow… for both myself AND Blackthorn heheh."

"Yeah." Dusty smiled here. "I'll be watching that, for sure. Blackthorn the defense attorney! I can't wait to see him doing my job actually…" Dusty cracked.

"Yeah… well rest up… I'll see you tomorrow." Spray told him, and turned to depart now. Dusty looked off to the side again, remembering all the interactions he'd had with Dahlia… this trial had to bring light to everything… if Blackthorn couldn't do it… then Dusty would in the days ahead!

**The Next Day...**

The courtroom they were holding Iris's trial in served the greater Piston Peak and V6 Valley area, and while nowhere near as big as the Los Angeles District Court, it was big enough. Blackthorn had to admit, he felt incredibly strange standing behind the defense's bench. He'd never in his life defended a client before, and this was completely alien to him. Instead of fighting to put someone away… he'd be fighting to keep them out of jail. Fortunately, no one here would know him… with the exception of the prosecutor.

Kez had still not returned his emails or answered his phone, so with no trace of the prosecutor, Blackthorn's choice for prosecutor had been approved. And as it turned out, he didn't have long to wait… for before long, the doors swung open, and a very familiar Maybach and her V12 drove in. As her eyes came to rest on Simon Blackthorn, Ferika von Karswerth scowled. "What are YOU doing here, Simon?" she snapped. "You said it would be Crophopper who would be working this case!"

"I lied." Blackthorn replied simply, unfazed.

"Hmph! Whatever! This is perfect! Instead of him, I'll crush you, the car I've NEVER been able to surpass… until now that is!" she declared triumphantly. "You better be ready, little brother!" Ferika had always called him "little" brother since his adoption by Manfred, even though Ferika was two years younger than him.

"Still trying to live up to dear old daddy… are we?" Blackthorn asked skeptically, which earned a derisive snort as the Maybach took her place behind the prosecutor's bench.

"Hardly! I no longer feel like I have to live up to him! I no longer count myself the daughter of a genius prosecutor. I'm just me… Ferika von Karswerth… and I will be prosecuting this case as such." She responded as the judge entered the courtroom now. He wasn't Judge Spinner of course, which was good for Blackthorn.

"Well then..." the old judge looked at the defense and prosecution. "I hereby bring State of Wyoming vs. Iris Fayette to session!" Slapping his gavel down, he looked at the prosecution. "You may begin with your opening statement and first witness, Ms. Von Karswerth."

"Hmph… very well! First off… I'd like to ask the defense… has he forgotten his place? What sort of joke is this? You've abandoned your profession to defend a client now? Oh how the mighty have fallen, I see!" She smirked.

"I'm doing this of my own desire." Blackthorn responded. "Let's just stay focused on the trial before us, shall we?"

"Very well… I intend to show decisively that the defendant viciously stabbed and murdered her twin sister at Piston Peak National Park! As my first witness, I'd like to call Sister Beryl, the defendant's mentor and close associate while at Piston Peak!" von Karswerth ordered.

"Very well! Prosecution summons Sister Beryl to the stand!" the judge repeated, and had the older plane brought in to testify.

"Witness! Testify to the court what you saw that night! Let's start with when you saw the defendant!" von Karswerth commanded, and Blackthorn knew this was it… he'd have to listen carefully and find contradictions with what she said to nail her. Since Beryl's story contradicted Iris's, one of them HAD to be lying.

"Very well… I was supposed to stay with Iris at Canopy Dome that night, but my body is not as young as it used to be you see… and I develop aches from time to time… so I decided to get a nice, warm hose down, and headed back to the Air Attack Base to do so. Shortly before my bath, I remember seeing Iris out of my window. I knew it was her, because she was wearing the robes I saw her wearing at dinner. I thought it highly strange, because she was supposed to be at Canopy Dome at the time but… my bath was ready, so I couldn't investigate any further." Beryl testified.

"So… the defendant WASN'T where she was supposed to be that night!" von Karswerth snapped. "She was in fact at the crime scene… ready to kill her sister!"

"Hmmm… so we've established the defendant wasn't where she claimed to be that night…" the judge stated thoughtfully. "You may cross-examine the witness's testimony, Mr. Blackthorn."

"Thank you, your honor." Driving out to the witness stand now, he ignored von Karswerth's smirk as he looked at Beryl. "Ms. Beryl… you claim you saw a plane wearing robes… tell me… could you see the color of the paint of the plane?" This seemed fairly obviously to Blackthorn. What Beryl might've seen was Dahlia, NOT Iris wearing Iris's robes.

"Well… no… I couldn't see any paint color." Beryl admitted.

"Might you have seen the victim, who was the twin sister of the defendant?" Blackthorn asked.

"Objection! Speculation!" von Karswerth snapped.

"Overruled. It's relevant." The judge responded. "Answer the question."

"Well I… I guess so but… it was the same robes she wore at dinner!" Beryl pointed out.

"Objection! Your honor those robes were handed over to one Dusty Crophopper after dinner! I checked with him myself! She WASN'T wearing her robes because she had given them to Mr. Crophopper in favor of more winter protective gear for her training!" Blackthorn put in.

"Objection!" von Karswerth shot back. "She could've simply used a spare set! Sister Beryl was found with quite the number of robes! You can't prove otherwise! While that MAY have been the victim… we just don't know! Unless you can prove it, it's just baseless speculation!"

"Sustained for the prosecution." The judge spoke up. Damn… so much for running with the idea that Beryl had really seen Dahlia and not Iris… but still… his theory wasn't dead just yet. And on top of that… he'd gotten a bit of a rush just there! Was this how Dusty felt every time he found a contradiction in the testimony?

"I'd like to next hear the witness testify about her movements AFTER her bath… and what she witnessed." Von Karswerth smirked here.

"All right… well after the bath, I heard a noise outside, so I went out to investigate… I passed by Mr. Crophopper… and that's when I saw it! I saw Iris stabbing her sister! She was stabbing her with the ceremonial sword we use in rituals in our clan! I believe the noise I heard was the victim crashing into the ground! The stabbing took place after her crash! I SAW the defendant stab the victim!" Beryl proclaimed, shaking a bit as she recalled it all vividly. But Blackthorn smiled here. FINALLY! Something he could work with! The courtroom was heating up though, as the onlookers were now convinced Iris had done it. But the judge ordered Simon to begin his cross-examination, and the Maserati eagerly took to the task.

"Ms. Beryl… you say you think the noise you heard was the victim crashing, and that the stabbing took place afterwards?" Blackthorn asked, tapping his tire on the ground.

"Yes! I saw her body covered in terrible dents and marks! She must've crashed right before Iris stabbed her!" Beryl confirmed.

"You're a liar, sister Beryl!" Blackthorn snapped now, scowling, and causing the old plane to cringe. "Autopsy reports concluded the victim's damage came POST mortem! AFTER she was killed! So you COULDN'T have seen the defendant stabbing the victim in the manner you describe!" NOW he was feeling like hot stuff! He'd caught her in a lie, and he fully understood the rush Dusty must get when he did this!

"Objection! The victim could've been stabbed first… perhaps on the elevated ground where some of the hangers sit on the Air Attack Base and THEN fell to the ground below, causing her damage!" von Karswerth pointed out here. "The witness was probably just confused as to the order she saw things!"

"Objection!" Blackthorn shouted back. "Then WHY wasn't there oil or hydraulic fluid found ANYWHERE else on the base? If she'd been stabbed on the hill as you claim, there'd be fluid up there! But police found NO traces of fluid ANYWHERE else on the base's grounds! Besides, that's NOT what Sister Beryl testified to seeing!"

"Objection! The sword was still IN the body when it was found! It's a large sword… it could've plugged the wound!" von Karswerth snapped back. "Prevented any fluids from leaking out till AFTER she fell!"

"All right! All right! Knock it off!" the judge snapped. "You're both just speculating back and forth now! You BOTH have valid points." The Maserati and Maybach had driven towards each other during this debate, their grilles almost touching before the judge had interjected. "We need to hear more testimony! Sister Beryl, amend your testimony! Tell us EXACTLY what you saw so we can clear this up!"

"Right…" Beryl responded meekly. "OK… so I didn't know the wounds were post-mortem! I just ASSUMED she had fallen! But no, I didn't actually see the victim fall. I didn't… ACTUALLY see Iris stab the victim either. The sword was already in place… when I saw her… but I DID see her start to remove the blade smoothly!" Beryl insisted. Blackthorn's eyes widened at this. She HADN'T seen Iris stab the victim? Just Iris REMOVING the sword? That changed EVERYTHING! Removing a sword was way different than stabbing it into a body!

"Wait, wait, wait!" Blackthorn put in now. "You DIDN'T actually see Iris stab Dahlia?"

"I… no…" Beryl closed her eyes, and hung her front sadly.

"You know what? This ceremonial sword… it wouldn't be possible for Iris to drive it all the way through the victim's body! I mean look! It branches into seven small blades! You're telling me a plane like Iris could cleanly shove this ALL the way into the victim's body, then just smoothly pull it back out? You're positive it was smooth?" Blackthorn asked skeptically. "ALSO… the wound was awfully big… this sword would NOT have plugged the wound completely! Furthermore!" He was on a roll now! "Oil was found on the TIP of the sword… the tip ONLY! Ergo… this sword was NOT the murder weapon at all! It was simply there to doctor the scene!"

"Objection! That changes nothing! Who cares if it was the murder weapon or not? Beryl SAW the defendant stabbing the victim with SOMETHING! That counts as murdering!"

"Objection! She didn't SEE the stabbing! Just the removal of a weapon! It's inconsistent! If she was REMOVING the sword, why was the victim found with the sword IN her body? Furthermore, if the wounds occurred post-mortem, HOW could Beryl have seen the wounds already ON the victim's body! The victim had to already be dead by that point!"

"That doesn't prove your client is innocent!" von Karswerth snapped. "She could've stabbed her TWICE!"

"Doesn't explain the wounds being there, which Beryl CLEARLY saw! I argue the victim was killed somewhere else… with ANOTHER weapon! Unless of course… YOU have a second weapon to present to the court?" Blackthorn asked now. "Since CLEARLY… that ceremonial sword couldn't have killed her!'

"Well I… I… we didn't find anything else!" von Karswerth admitted here.

"Maybe Iris threw the real weapon into the river!" Beryl broke in now. "We DID see unusual tracks near the murder scene that suggested something was moved to the river!"

"Then why weren't there TWO areas of disheveled snow?" Blackthorn asked. "If Iris moved out to the cliff, she'd have to come back… and in the dark I DOUBT she'd be able to perfectly retrace her path!"

"Maybe snow fell and covered up the second set of tracks!" von Karswerth offered.

"You're getting sloppy, Ferika! It wasn't even snowing that night! It had snowed lightly that evening… but WELL before the murder took place!" Blackthorn retorted. "While I admit, the tracks are something of a mystery… they DO seem to indicate a plane was moved through the snow… but whether it was from the cliff to the murder scene or from the murder scene to the cliff we can't be sure! To claim it was the defendant going to dispose of evidence though is ludicrous! There's NO second set of tracks! She would've HAD to have come back, after all! And no way she'd do that perfectly over her old tracks in the dark! All we know is that SOME plane moved through the snow that night! And we might be able to know who that plane was! I summon Larry Fenders to the stand as my first witness!" Blackthorn proclaimed now, feeling rather pleased with himself. "Your honor, all we know right now is that Iris DOCTORED the scene… NOT that she killed her sister! That sword was NOT the murder weapon! Only the front part of it was jammed through the victim's body! Plus we've also proven Beryl couldn't have seen the actual crime! I argue the crime took place SOMEWHERE else entirely!" Blackthorn raised his voice here.

"Why so?" the judge asked curiously.

"Because! Lack of real hydraulic fluid at the alleged crime scene AND the fact that the victim sustained heavy damage AFTER she was killed! If she was dying right when Beryl saw her… then HOW did she sustain such damage afterward? I mean Mr. Crophopper was on the scene shortly after Beryl fainted! Within seconds in fact! Ergo, there would've been no time for those wounds to form! I argue this is NOT in fact the real crime scene at all! Her body was moved to this location!" Blackthorn outlined.

"You bring up an interesting set of points, Mr. Blackthorn. It does certainly seem like Beryl's testimony doesn't satisfactorily explain the real murder weapon nor the damage found on the victim's body! Something's off about this! I hereby dismiss Beryl as a witness, and summon Larry Fenders to the stand!" the judge ordered, causing von Karswerth to groan at her case being undone. True, Blackthorn hadn't proven Iris innocent, but he was making a good case, she had to admit. There were too many inconsistencies with the murder scene to indicate that it was where Dahlia was actually murdered.

Larry was brought to the stand now, and was asked to testify about what he witnessed that night. He started off by giving Ferika a wink, which earned him a dark glare from the Maybach. "Hey there, sugar!"

"SUGAR?" she practically roared, revving her engine. "What's a DORK like you know about sugar?"

"Wha? I'm a… dork?" Larry asked sadly.

"Witness! Your testimony!" the judge snapped.

"Oh! Right! So yeah! I went out to Dusk Bridge that night! I uh… wanted to see the stars! Yeah that's right! But then I saw something amazing!"

"Hold it! What were you REALLY doing out Larry?" Blackthorn asked.

"Oh… yeah… if you're implying that I was out to steal a glance of Iris in the moonlight… you're wrong! I couldn't see her from the other side of the bridge anyway! But yeah! I saw something incredible!"

"What?" Blackthorn asked.

"I saw Iris flying down in the gorge! Under the bridge! She was flying across from Canopy Dome over to me! Of course I… didn't actually see her land… she kind of disappeared underneath me the closer to the cliff she got… but I really did see that!" Larry insisted.

"You saw Iris… flying?" Blackthorn asked slowly.

"Yeah! It was her!"

"Objection! It's impossible to take off or land on Canopy Dome! We've determined that yesterday! How in the HELL could the defendant have been flying that night?" Blackthorn asked.

"But I saw it!"

"You saw her… or the victim, Dahlia Whittaker? Could you SEE the color of the plane?" Blackthorn pressed.

"I… I didn't see the color! It was too dark! And she was wearing robes!" Larry confessed now.

"Ugh, not this again!" Blackthorn sighed. "So you admit it MIGHT have been Dahlia you saw! We KNOW Iris gave her robes to Crophopper that night! She WASN'T wearing any robes when she was arrested! To suggest otherwise is ludicrous!" He glanced at Ferika now to see if the Maybach would raise an objection, but she didn't. "So you might not have seen the defendant after all!"

"But look what I found buried in the snow! She landed somewhere on the other side of the bridge! I drove over to try and find her but couldn't! The snow was deep and I got delayed! But I DID find this!" Larry produced a violet crystal now, and Blackthorn's engine started to race as he recognized it as the missing crystal from the staff found next to Dahlia's body at the scene.

"Let me see that!" Blackthorn exclaimed, driving over and snatching it out of Larry's wheel.

"Hey! Easy Thorny!" Larry whined, but Blackthorn's eyes widened as he noticed oil stains all over the purple surface.

"Well look at this! Oil stains! What do we say we test this crystal to see WHOSE oil this is?" the Maserati proclaimed proudly. "Ten to one says it's the victim's!"

"Objection! That's pointless evidence!" von Karswerth put in at last. "It could've been planted there by this bozo! He could've found it at the murder scene and placed it at the bridge!"

"No way! I FOUND this under the snow!" Larry insisted. "I didn't plant it, sugar!"

"Urrrgh! You say that again…" von Karswerth warned, baring her teeth.

"This changes everything!" Blackthorn quickly cut in. "If Ms. Whittaker was murdered AT the Air Attack Base… HOW did this crystal, which was on the staff lying NEXT to her body… get ALL the way over to Dusk Bridge? If this crystal was present at the murder scene… the REAL murder scene… then we DON'T have enough evidence to continue this trial!" Blackthorn stated resolutely. "All we have is a witness who says she saw the defendant REMOVING a sword from the victim's body! The real murder could've taken place somewhere else entirely! The REAL murder scene is out there somewhere, your honor! I motion for a suspension of this trial so that we can find it and determine what REALLY happened!"

"I have to admit… this is all very confusing, but you have a point! If that crystal was present at the crime scene… then how did it get all the way to Dusk Bridge? It seems we DON'T know everything about this case after all!" the judge concurred. "But what a case! A witness who didn't see the murder, a vital piece of evidence found considerably far from the supposed murder scene, a murder scene that isn't a murder scene, and a flying plane flying from a place that flying isn't possible! What a mystery we have!"

"Indeed… another day is needed to gather evidence and get to the bottom of this one, your honor!" Blackthorn also found it strange. If Larry saw Dahlia… was Dahlia actually killed at Canopy Dome? But how was she flying from Canopy Dome over to the other side of the bridge? She COULD NOT have landed in the snow! At least not safely… so what the hell was going on here? What had Larry really seen that night? "A few more question before we adjourn, your honor!" Blackthorn spoke up now.

"What is it, Mr. Blackthorn?" the judge asked.

"Larry… did you hear Iris's engine as she was flying?" Blackthorn asked.

"You know that was the strange thing! I didn't hear her engine! I THOUGHT I heard a helicopter… but I couldn't see anything in the darkness!" A helicopter? Most unusual…

"You heard rotor blades?" Blackthorn specified.

"Yes! That was it!" Larry confirmed.

"Was the bridge on fire before when you were there, Larry?" Blackthorn continued.

"Negative! No fire! It caught fire after I found the crystal… but it looked like it started from the other side!" Larry answered.

"Huh… defense rests, your honor." Blackthorn stated.

"I can't BELIEVE I couldn't beat you!" von Karswerth snarled. "How is this possible? First Crophopper and now you? UGH!"

"You'll get your chance against Crophopper tomorrow I'm sure." Blackthorn reassured his step-sister.

"Well then, I hereby adjourn court so the prosecution and defense can find the REAL murder site and determine exactly what happened there! Also we need a murder weapon! No murder weapon isn't going to be good for proving guilt!" the judge pointed out to Ferika now. "Court adjourned!"

Blackthorn sighed, glad it was over… and that he'd done so well as a defense attorney! He'd bought himself another day, and knew this must be how Dusty felt every time he managed to do the same thing. Basking in the relief, he knew it was time to get back to work though. It was time to solve these mysteries and figure out just what was going on with this one…


	32. Chapter 32: Help From Unlikely Sources

**Author's Note: **Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Glad you're liking this story so far! :D Good you picked up on the cold medicine, SevenStar... that'll be important later on. ;) And here we get some revelations as the team effort continues to try and get to the bottom of this one!

**Back to the Story**

As construction equipment slowly worked on repairing Dusk Bridge, Blackthorn was immensely relieved to see Dusty Crophopper rolling up to him and Detective Crawford. "Ugh! Crophopper! I finally understand what you have to go through in court!" Blackthorn exclaimed, causing Dusty to break out in a smile.

"Heheh… well YOU did great in there, Simon!" Dusty praised. "You'd make a great defense attorney, you know!"

"Thanks, but I think I prefer the prosecuting side of things." Blackthorn replied, but did break into a smile of his own.

"We're repairing Dusk Bridge right now!" Crawford spoke up. "If that crystal was found by the bridge… there's a good chance the murder scene is over on Canopy Dome… somewhere." The Ford speculated.

"Yeah… I was thinking the same thing." Dusty agreed.

"Are you taking over this case then, Crophopper?" Blackthorn asked.

"I think so… yeah." Dusty replied. "I'm feeling better enough to do so. Thanks for your help, though, Simon! I really appreciated that!"

"No problem, Crophopper. Better you than me right now. I'm still going to do some digging of my own though… I'm just as curious about this case as you are, after all." The Maserati stated.

"I'll gladly take any help I can get!" Dusty exclaimed. "So I guess until the bridge is repaired… I'll just head back to the Air Attack Base and see if I can talk to Beryl. I assume she hasn't left yet."

"No she's still there." Blackthorn confirmed. "Anyway… I'll see you in a bit." The Maserati nodded. "I'm glad you're OK… welcome back to the fray." Dusty nodded in response and gave a smile, and headed back towards the Air Attack Base with Blackthorn before the Maserati parted ways. As Dusty rolled up to the guest hanger where Beryl had been staying (coincidentally it had been his old hanger during his training here), he saw Ferika von Karswerth and Larry Fenders arguing about something just inside.

"Pleeeeese! You gotta model for me!" Larry was begging, earning a snort from von Karswerth.

"Hmph! Yeah right? YOU? OUT of my way! I have work to do!" she snapped, then noticed Dusty approaching. "Crophopper!" she declared, shoving Larry back and driving up to him now. "You weren't in court yesterday!"

"Yeah… I'm doing fine, thanks for asking." Dusty responded icily.

"Hmph… well from now on, I'm not letting you out of my sight!" von Karswerth snapped. "I'm following you on your investigation to see what you find! It'll be relevant to MY case, after all!" she declared.

"Um… OK…" Dusty trailed off here. "Is Sister Beryl around?" Ferika nodded behind her, indicating the old plane. "Great! Hey! Beryl!"

"I feel awful about what I testified about in court!" Beryl sobbed, cutting Dusty off. "I wasn't intending to seem like I was lying! I just… I know what I saw!"

"Yes… I know you weren't trying to do that. But I was wondering… did you actually know that Dahlia was here that night? I'm positive you saw her at first… since Iris DID give me her robes." Dusty pointed out.

"I guess it's entirely possible." Beryl confessed. Just then, Dusty received a text from Crawford saying the bridge had been repaired. "Oh! Excuse me!" Dusty said, backing away now as he began heading back to Dusk Bridge.

"Hold it, Crophopper! Remember, I'm coming with you!" Ferika shouted, and revved her engine as she moved to follow him.

"Suit yourself!" Dusty called, heading straight for the bridge now. He was eager to see what was on the other side, and sure enough, the old rope bridge was back in service, though Dusty had to admit, he was a bit nervous crossing it. This bridge had taken him out the other day after all… so he'd have to tread very cautiously here. But Ferika practically pushed him onto the boards as she drove behind him.

"Move it, Crophopper! What are you waiting for?" she asked with annoyance, causing Dusty to gulp and roll forward slowly. "What are you DOING?" she asked. "You aren't afraid of heights… are you?"

"Eheheh… not anymore… it's just that… you know…"

"What?" she snapped. "Go!" She pushed him again, causing him to utter a sound of discontent as he rolled over the bridge towards Canopy Dome. The bridge creaked under him, and down below, he could see the rushing waters of the river…. OK… don't think about that… just keep going… you're NOT afraid of heights after all!

As he neared the end, he breathed in the cold mountain air gratefully as his wheels crunched under snow once more. "Wow! Look at this view!" Dusty exclaimed, rolling towards the breathtaking vista presented to them.

"A view to be appreciated by a sentimental fool such as yourself, perhaps." Ferika scoffed. Dusty paused now, eyes narrowing, and suddenly, he whirled around to face her, throwing up some snow as he did so.

"You know what? Knock it off!" he yelled, some spittle flying from his mouth. "WHY are you so MEAN to me? I haven't DONE anything to you! Beat you in court once, but SO what? Does that give you the right to treat me like I'm a pile of dirt? I don't appreciate that, and it would take a truly heartless car indeed to mock me for admiring a beautiful view! I was JUST saying the view was amazing, OK? I DIDN'T get your father killed! I'm sick and tired of you holding that over me! STOP IT! All right? I can do without the rude and obnoxious commentary from you today! I brought you flowers after you'd gotten shot because I was concerned about your health! So just BACK OFF!" Ferika seemed surprised by this outburst, and recoiled a bit, blinking a few times. She seemed hurt, her face falling a bit here under his barrage. "You realize this makes you QUITE the unpleasant car, right?" Dusty continued, but faltered as he saw her start to wilt.

"I…" she began, seeming unsteady here. "I'm sorry… I didn't… I didn't mean to say that, OK? I just… you're right…" she said softly here, almost regretfully. "I didn't mean… it is a nice view…" she agreed without looking at him.

Dusty backed off now, and gazed at her seriously. "So… you do have feelings after all."

She glared at him here. "Are you insinuating I'm emotionless?"

"You came off as such." He replied firmly.

"Well I… I'm not." She responded now, frowning a bit as she still wouldn't look at him.

"You and I are in this together… OK? THAT'S what being a lawyer is! We're finding the truth of this case! I don't care about defeating you or proving you wrong… I just want the truth… so if you're going to accompany me-"

"I'll lay off the commentary." Ferika replied, cutting him off. "I get it…"

"Good." He answered.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't Jerkhopper and the wannabe acting prosecutor of my case!" The disdainful voice belonged surprisingly to Kez, who was hopping up to them now. What the hell was HE doing here?

"Kez? What are you doing here?"

"Shut it, Jerkhopper! I'm here taking charge of this case! MY case!" he said, turning his visor to look at Ferika now. "I wasn't at court yesterday because I have NO interest in facing anyone other than Jerkhopper! I needed to see my doctor too… ever since I've come back to life, I've been all but blind! Even this visor grants me very limited eyesight! So yeah… needed to make a trip to him to ensure everything was just peachy!" Kez explained, though it was clear he wasn't happy.

"How EXACTLY did you die?" Ferika asked suspiciously.

Kez shifted his gaze to Dusty now, his red visor glowing. "Oh Jerkhopper knows FULL well about THAT… DON'T you, Jerkhopper? You KNOW when I was murdered! You also know HOW I was murdered too! So just stand aside, Ms. Acting Prosecutor! This is MY case now! Your useless services are no longer needed! Pathetic wannabe that you are! Can't even beat a plane who's NOT a real lawyer!" Kez mocked von Karswerth now, sneering at her derisively. Ferika seemed genuinely hurt by this, her face falling as she tried to think of a retort. Dusty bared his teeth and moved right into Kez's face now.

"Hey! You can't talk to her like that! She has a better record than YOU do, for one! Look… I think I get why you hate me, OK?"

"Oh yeah?" Kez asked.

"Yeah! But you know what, Kez? Or should I say, Nick? Cause that's who you are! What would Blade think of you? What would your PARTNER think of you now?" Dusty snapped, glaring right into that visor. "I DIDN'T ruin your life, OK?" Kez was practically snarling now.

"You don't mention his name!" Kez snapped. "You have NO RIGHT! YOU of all planes! Who almost got him killed by your own selfish behavior!"

"Who's kept his survival hidden from his best friend?" Dusty retorted. "I made mistakes sure… but I LEANRED from them, Kez! What have YOU done with yourself these past years? Kept yourself concealed from your best friend? Your partner?"

"Just stay out of my way Jerkhopper, all right? I'm gonna crush you tomorrow in court, and show the world you CAN'T live up to Blade's ideals! You're just a pretender and a fraud! And I'll prove it!" Kez shot back.

"Heh… what happened to you, Nick? Blade wouldn't even recognize you now… is THIS how you want him to see you?" Dusty asked, relenting a little here.

"You know NOTHING about me, Jerkhopper! You, who were so taken with sweet, 'innocent' little HER! I'll prove your client guilty tomorrow… and crush you as well! You just pass the rest of the day knowing that! I'll see you around!" Kez began hopping off now, heading for Dusk Bridge. By this point, police were filing over the bridge, and Kez had to pause to allow them to go first.

"What a jerk…" Dusty muttered under his breath. "I can't believe how much he's changed…"

"Hm… he certainly seems… callous." Ferika commented, uneasily aware that maybe this was how she came off to others… exactly like Kez had to them.

"By the way!" Kez called over to them. "Don't go to the summit! I've got that WELL under control for investigating that area! I'm gonna keep it cordoned off so you bozos don't go poking around up there!"

Dusty and Ferika glanced at each other here, and recognition immediately passed between them. They both knew… they had to get up to the summit before the cops arrived. Nodding at each other, they began to move off as Kez turned away, starting to hop across the bridge.

"Did he… come from the bridge?" Dusty asked now, quickening his pace with Ferika moving to match.

"I don't think so… he didn't come from behind us after all." Ferika commented.

"So… what the hell was he doing here?" Dusty asked suspiciously.

"Did he fly over this morning?" Ferika tried.

"Maybe… it's just strange… he couldn't be reached at all yesterday… then shows up here and claims he was investigating? How in the hell could he have known about this?" Dusty inquired.

"It does seem rather strange…" Ferika admitted.

"Oh… hold on a minute!" Dusty said, quickly dialing Spray's number. "Spray! It's Dusty! I just learned that Kez has a doctor he sees for his eyesight… he's blind apparently except for that visor… find this guy and question him! He might know about Kez's past… and his current condition, as well as his alleged 'death' too, particularly if Kez trusts him! Also find out if Kez was there yesterday. I need to check something…"

"Hey Dusty. No problem… I'm on it!" Spray answered, and hung up.

"OK… sorry about that… and sorry he insulted you. For the record… I think you're a much better prosecutor than he is anyway." Dusty stated.

"It doesn't matter." Ferika said dismissively, though she'd clearly been hurt by his words earlier. "I guess I WON'T be facing you tomorrow…" she sighed.

"Well… there's always next time." Dusty said, shrugging a bit here. They approached the summit now, and could see a solitary lantern on a stone stand up here. "Whoa! Check this place out!" Dusty exclaimed, rolling forward.

"Just be careful! This could be Blackthorn's elusive crime scene he kept hitting me with yesterday!" she cautioned, and Dusty slowed down in response.

"Right! OK… let's see! Hey check this out! Someone's shoveled a LOT of snow up here! They've formed a clear square around the lantern!" Dusty pointed out, and Ferika could see it was true. There was indeed a giant square of cleared turf around the lantern.

"Huh… why would this place be shoveled?" she asked.

"Beats me! Let's look around!" Dusty suggested, and rolled into the clearing carefully now, looking down at the ground while Ferika moved to the other side of the lantern. Dusty stopped as he noticed a pendant on the ground… the pendant Iris had been wearing the entire time Dusty had seen her since her arrival at Propwash Junction. "Hmmm…" So Iris was definitely here…

"Crophopper!" Ferika called. "You're…. going to want to see this…" Dusty rolled to the other side of the lantern now to join Ferika, who was staring at words written in red hydraulic fluid upon the stone light fixture. They chilled Dusty as they read "Iris." "What do you make of this?" she asked.

"Looks like someone wrote my client's name in their own fluid… I think we've just found our crime scene!" Dusty declared.

"But does that mean Iris did it?" Ferika asked now.

"I…. don't know…" Dusty confessed. "She was definitely here that night… I found her pendant over there. But look! Someone was shoveling snow so… were they cleaning up the scene? Getting rid of the fluid that Dahlia no doubt was leaking had she been stabbed here?"

"Yeah… looks that way…" Ferika agreed, looking around. "No easy task… would've taken hours. So it couldn't have been Iris… she was arrested not long after the time of death."

"She had an accomplice then?" Dusty asked, looking over at Ferika.

"OR… the real murderer did it." Ferika pointed out. "And Iris was the accomplice… since she might have been doctoring the body on the other side of this gorge."

"Yeah… yeah that's true!" Dusty replied. Already he was starting to form a story in his mind as he looked at the scene… a theory as to what might've happened here.

"Anyway we don't have much time… seen everything you need to see?" she asked.

"I… I guess so!" Dusty stated, hoping he'd gotten everything.

"Wait! Over there! Looks like a partially burned scrap of paper!" Ferika exclaimed, nodding in the direction of something in the clearing as her eyes darted over to it.

"Fresh, too!" Dusty commented as he rolled over to it. "It's still hot!"

"Grab it and let's get out of here!" Ferika suggested, and began driving out of the clearing now, Dusty following her after he picked up the letter. "What's it say?" she asked.

"Um… hold on! It says: 'To my dear daughter… the time has come to finally take our revenge on the one who is getting everything. She will be entering her final training at Piston Peak, as we discussed… go there tonight. Disguise yourself. I'll be arranging for a sword to be hidden inside a staff'… inside a staff!" Dusty exclaimed, eyes lighting up now. "'Find this staff… it will be the one with the violet crystal on top. Use this to kill your sister and take your rightful place as ruler of our clan.' Damn! The bottom of the letter is burnt! I can't see who signed it… but I think I know who wrote this!" Dusty declared, even as the police hove in sight now.

"That staff! THAT was hiding a sword?" Ferika asked in disbelief. "I wonder if that…"

"Was the murder weapon!" Dusty finished.

"Who wrote this?"

"Morgan Fayette!" Dusty proclaimed. "To her daughter, Dahlia! They were planning on murdering Iris! THAT'S what Dahlia was doing here that night! She was going to kill her twin sister!"

"But something clearly went wrong… she was killed instead! But by whom? Was it self-defense do you think?" Ferika asked.

"I… I'm not so sure about that." Dusty confessed. "See… Iris mentioned to Blackthorn that she'd never hurt her sister… on top of that… we KNOW there were two involved in this! SOMEONE had to stay behind after all shoveling that snow!"

"But how could they have missed something so obvious as the name 'Iris' in hydraulic fluid?" Ferika asked. "Seems like a stupid oversight if they stayed behind to clean up."

"Not sure to be honest… but I don't think Iris killed her sister!" Dusty stated. "We gotta let the police know about that hidden sword though! THAT could be the real murder weapon!"

"Did Iris have anyone else with her that night?" Ferika asked now.

"No… she and Beryl went out there alone… it's like I've got parts of the picture… just not all of it…" he said, trailing off thoughtfully. "Crawford!" Dusty called out to the detective as he rolled up to Dusty. "Check out that staff that was found next to Dahlia's body! It has a sword inside of it!"

"What? How did you know that?" Crawford asked.

"Just do it! It could be the murder weapon!" Dusty stated adamantly. "We need to question Iris again!"

"That can be arranged." Crawford said.

"Also, I'd like to request a change of venue to LA! I want Judge Spinner on this case!" Dusty requested.

"That can… probably also be arranged." Crawford replied.

"All right! I think I've seen all I can see here! If you could call Blackthorn, we can head to the local jail and question Iris again." Dusty informed Ferika.

"Why do you want me there?" she asked suspiciously.

"Because… you aren't working this case anymore… and I want to show you what volo pro veritas means." Dusty smiled here. "Besides without your help today… I might've missed that note!" he pointed out.

"Well… I-I didn't do it to help you admittedly. I wanted to know what was going on too." Ferika stated.

"Either way… thanks for the help. Now let's get down to that jail!" he suggested.

**V6 Valley Jail**

Not only Blackthorn, but Spray met them there as well. He didn't reveal what he'd found out just yet, as Dusty wanted to talk to Iris first. "Iris… I think your mother wanted Dahlia to kill you!" Dusty began, showing her the letter now. Iris read it gravely, and when she'd finished, sighed heavily and closed her eyes.

"Dahlia…" she said softly, trailing off here. "I'm so sorry…"

"What? Why?" Dusty asked.

"Dusty… I always felt sorry for my sister… she had NO ONE who truly loved her… our mother didn't… our father… I don't know. He always seemed to regard us with suspicion thanks to his dislike of our mother. I was her only friend… and I betrayed her once…" Iris explained.

"What? How?" Dusty inquired.

"When she stole a jewel from my father… I was supposed to help but… I refused. I never wanted to betray her again after that. She was just… I always felt so bad for her. She felt like she had to make her own way in this world… she was strong… but bitter too… she hated our parents… hated our mother for being weak, and hated our father for leaving her. She was bitter at the world…"

"Do you know anything about Dahlia's poisoning of an LAPD informant and her later meeting up with a student?" Spray asked now, causing Dusty's eyes to widen.

"No… I don't…" Iris admitted. "But… Dusty…" she looked at him now.

"Yes?" Dusty asked.

"Dahlia told me that she hated your guts… I'm sorry…" Iris said sadly, closing her eyes as tears rolled down her sides. "I'm sorry…"

"What?" Dusty asked in a voice barely above a whisper. "She… hated me?"

"Yes… I'm sorry Dusty…"

"I… I see… I mean I knew she was pretty bad from watching the recording of Blackthorn's first case but… somewhere… deep within me… I just… I wanted to believe there was something there… I guess… I guess she was just using me like everyone else." Dusty stated regretfully.

Blackthorn patted Dusty's pontoon with a wheel now and Spray rubbed his wing. "Poisoned an informant…" Dusty continued. "She POISONED Nick Lopez?"

"Yeah… I found that doctor… sweated him. He gave up some juicy information. Turns out when Nick was brought to the hospital… his personal physician was there on call, and rushed to his side. He found out Nick had been poisoned… a poison that could be stopped in time… but I'm willing to bet Dahlia had poisoned him when they got together at the café that morning. He reported he began to black out during his practice session at the studio… something was wrong with him… he then crashed… and it was found he'd been poisoned. While his doctor was able to counteract the poison, Nick was sliding into a coma from the injuries he received from his crash. He told his doctor to fake his death… falsify records… report he'd died. His doctor said Nick thought it'd be easier to get the jump on Dahlia this way. Unfortunately for Nick… his coma lasted years. He didn't come out of it until two years ago. By then, his eyesight had been destroyed thanks to the poison damaging his central nervous system, so he needed a special visor to see after that, which his doctor crafted for him. So now he's back… guess he was devoted to bringing down Dahlia, even at the risk of his friends and family thinking he'd died." Spray explained, causing Dusty to frown thoughtfully here.

"Wow… his entire life erased because of a gamble he took…"

"There's more, Dusty." Spray stated. "Blackthorn and I found that that love pendant that Dahlia gave to you… it most likely contained the poison she'd used on Nick."

"What?" Dusty asked, horrified at this.

"Yeah… see she managed to dart out of the café after blowing off Nick, and met you shortly after. The police were closing in, as they suspected foul play in Nick's death, so she had to ditch the evidence. She gave it to you… to hide. When police searched her, they weren't able to find any such poison in her possession… either on her or in her lodgings." Spray outlined.

"Oh my gosh! I was… I was keeping vital evidence in their investigation?" he asked, shocked at this. "And in Nick's 'death' no less!" he gasped.

"Yeah… but you had no way of knowing." Spray told him.

"She wanted me to give it back after a bit… but I kept refusing… I was too in love with it and her to give it up… I wanted to wear it forever…" Dusty commented sadly here.

"Yeah well, she escaped with it…" Spray finished.

"And my cold medicine… for some reason." Dusty put in.

"Yeah… given what we know about her… you're damn lucky to be alive…" Spray said, looking in Dusty's eyes now.

"Yeah… no kidding! I just wish I had known! I was so stupid back then!"

"You couldn't have known what she was doing." Spray responded.

"But you know… why didn't she just kill me?" Dusty asked. "To get the vial back."

"Unknown…" Spray shrugged, but noticed Iris seemed to react to this. "You have something to share?" he asked here.

"No." Iris quickly responded, but Spray's ailerons twitched all the same.

"So she was just dating me because she needed to hide evidence…" Dusty stated glumly.

"Seems like it." Spray confirmed. "I'm sorry… there's more too. Kez was NOT at his doctor yesterday, like he claimed."

"What? Then… where was he? And why would he lie?" Dusty asked, confused.

"No idea… all I know is that his doctor said he wasn't at the office yesterday." Spray confirmed.

"I have to tell Blade…" Dusty said now, looking off to the side. "He needs to know his best friend is still alive. And no matter what… I have to try to get through to Nick… I HAVE to help him! I don't know what happened in his life after he woke up or why he hates me so much… I mean part of it I can figure out… but there's more to it than that. Still… Blade needs to know."

"Yeah… I agree." Spray replied softly.

"So I guess tomorrow we'll be moving to LA for our change of court. Iris…" Dusty turned to her now. "I might ask you to summon Dahlia tomorrow… I know it's risky… as she could implicate you but… I need to get to the bottom of this case… and she could very well be key to doing that. She could admit to who killed her after all… could you maybe do that?"

"I could try…" Iris agreed.

"Good… well then… I'm gonna go and tell Blade… thanks for your help everyone… I never would've gotten this far without ANY of your help! It's been a real team effort so far… we just have to put it all together and bring it to its conclusion! We're close! I can taste it!" he smacked his lips here. "We just keep pushing and get to the heart of this one!" He looked around at them all. Blackthorn and Spray were the most determined of course, though even Dusty could see Ferika was intrigued by this one.

"Kind of makes me want to look through the police investigation regarding Dahlia Whittaker." She stated. "Since we know she intended to murder Iris that night… I'm curious as to what really happened. I don't suppose you can tell us?" she looked at Iris now.

"I… I can't, I'm sorry." Iris replied, causing Dusty to wonder just why she was clamming up. Was she protecting her accomplice… or the real killer? But why?

"Making you look awfully suspicious, you know. And tampering with a crime scene WILL land you in jail!" Ferika pointed out here.

"I know… but it's all right. I didn't kill my sister… I stand by that." Iris reiterated.

"But we can help you if you just tell us what happened… who are you working with?" Dusty asked now.

"What do you mean?" Iris asked here.

"You didn't kill your sister… but someone else did! You helped them conceal it! If it took place at Canopy Dome… I need to know!" Dusty stated.

"I can't say… I'm sorry Dusty… I'm sorry I keep hiding things from you… but I WILL keep my promise to Mr. Blackthorn and tell you everything… when this trial is over."

"Iris if you're protecting someone… I understand but… please… help me out here…" Dusty pleaded.

"I'm sorry Dusty… but I can't… you'll either figure it out or you won't…"

"Kez is gonna try to pin this on you, ya know!" Dusty pointed out.

"I know but… we'll just see. I think it'll work out either way…" Iris replied softly.

"You sound strangely unfazed… well all right… I'll continue trusting you for now… and I'll see you tomorrow…" he said, turning to leave now. "I'll give you one thing Iris… you're extremely loyal to vehicles you feel deserve your loyalty. Your sister and this murderer… I'll give you that."

"It's… part of me trying to make amends… and I will with you as well." She told him honestly, looking right at him.

"Yeah… I don't doubt that. Anyway… see ya!" he said, his propeller spinning a bit as he exited her holding area.

**Piston Peak Air Attack Base, Blade's Hanger**

Blade sat in his hanger with Dusty, gazing down into a steaming cup of coffee as he watched the sun set. "So what'd you want to talk to me about, champ?"

"First off… thanks for your help at the hospital. I really enjoyed your company… and you helped me through my surgery and recovery. But Blade… I have to talk to you about something… about… Nick…" Dusty stated hesitantly, causing Blade's eyes to rise and meet his own.

"Nick? What about Nick?"

"He's still alive…" Dusty said slowly, letting that sink in. At first, Blade gave him a "you're crazy" look. But as Dusty didn't waver in his expression, nor break out that he was joking, Blade's face melted.

"This better be a bad joke, Dusty…" Blade began.

"It's not… he's very much alive… as a prosecuting attorney… named Kez. We found out today that he faked his death… he was in a coma for years… but he finally woke up… two years ago." Dusty explained.

"What? Why?" Blade asked, confused.

"He was involved in a covert operation with the LAPD. He uh… he was hoping his 'death' would allow him to get the drop on who he was informing on. He was hoping she'd drop her guard… but… his coma lasted longer than he was anticipating I think…"

"Why wouldn't he tell me…?" Blade asked, trailing off.

"I… I don't know… he's different now. He's… well kind of a jerk, for lack of a better term. But Blade… I think… I think I can reach him. Tomorrow I'll be facing him in court… and maybe… just maybe if you're there… we can get through to him…" Dusty outlined.

Blade looked over to his wall, where a picture of Nick Lopez grinned back at him. "Nick…" Blade said sadly, gazing at him with regret. "Are you sure about this?" he asked, shifting his gaze back to Dusty now.

"Yes. His doctor confessed." Dusty stated in low tones. "Blade he's changed a lot… you're going to have to be ready for that… but I want you to come with me… I want you to face him with me. I know it might cause you pain… but he's the reason you became a firefighter! I… I know you'd want to see him again!"

Blade coughed a little, and looked down at his coffee again. "Nick…" he repeated. "I thought he was dead all these years… I mourned him… attended his funeral…"

"I know this is hard… and painful… I know. I can only imagine… but… Blade… he was your partner…" Blade sniffed here. "Also… he's… he's blind."

"Blind?" Blade asked, looking up now.

"Yes… he can see with the help of a special visor but… he was poisoned the day he crashed. THAT'S why he crashed! The poison was acting on his body… attacking his central nervous system… although he survived… it left him blinded. He lost his vision." Dusty explained.

"I… I see." Blade responded waveringly. "Dusty I don't know if I can…"

"Please Blade… don't abandon him… I know you think… maybe he abandoned you but… he's in there… somewhere, Blade. I KNOW he is! I want to try and reach him. With your help… I know I can." Dusty stated confidently. "Don't you at least want to see him again? Get to know why he did it?"

"I… I DO want to see him again…" Blade admitted.

"Good… now look… I have a LOT to explain to you about this current case and how it ties in with Nick. So I hope you have an hour or two because you're gonna need it… it all starts… with a plane named Dahlia Whittaker…" Dusty began, and Blade settled down to listen to the tale of his friend and how he'd come to try and help the LAPD bring down a dangerous criminal… and how it all culminated with her slaying a few nights ago…


	33. Chapter 33: Resolutions

**Author's Note: **Well this is NOT the last chapter, but it could be the penultimate one! This was a really emotional chapter for me to write, and I hope it's equally emotional to read! I'd like to thank you all once again for your kind reviews, and you guys have been a nice bright spot in my otherwise dark times at present. So thank you so much for reading this story to his point, and I hope you like this one! :D

**Back to the Story**

The Los Angeles District Court was buzzing with reporters after it was announced that Dusty Crophopper was returning to defend a client he'd once defended before. Kez's return had generated some hype as well, and as Dusty met Iris outside the courtroom, he felt he had a much better picture of what had happened that night, but was still missing some key ingredients. "Do you still need me to summon Dahlia?" Iris asked. Dusty nodded here. "Yes… I'd like some answers from her… and some details. Provided you didn't kill your sister, I should be able to pick apart her testimony, even if she decides to try and pin her killing on you."

"Prosecutor Kez suggested the same thing, when I told him. He's very eager to hear what my sister has to say." Iris confessed. "It could be a trap."

"Yes well… let me worry about that, shall we? Say uh… how do you get the spirit to leave your body?" Dusty asked.

"Well… the two obvious ways are the spirit has to willingly leave my body… or I get killed…" Iris murmured.

"You can't banish her once you summon her?"

"Not easily… if she fights to hang on…" Iris informed him.

"Hmmm… well OK. We'll figure something out." Dusty looked at Blade now, who was present with Blackthorn, Spray, and von Karswerth. "You uh… you ready for this?" Dusty asked his friend.

"Yeah… I guess so." Blade answered, seeming very tentative as he said those words. He peered to try and look into the courtroom, and could see Kez standing behind the prosecutor's desk. "That him?" the helicopter asked.

"Yeah… that's him. Maybe you should sit in the audience for now… and show up later on?" Dusty suggested.

"Yeah… I want to watch him from a distance first." Blade acknowledged.

"All right… let's go!" Dusty said.

"Dahlia will be out by the time I'm summoned to the witness stand." Iris stated. "I'll see you… hopefully later." She gave Dusty a final look, and headed for the witness preparation area. Dusty moved towards his desk, trying to gather himself as Judge Spinner entered the courtroom.

"Well this is interesting! I've been specifically REQUESTED by you to preside over this trial and change of venue! Good to see both of you again." He greeted Dusty and Kez with a nod in both directions, and glanced at Kez. "You may start by summoning your first witness, Mr. Kez."

"Thank you, your honor. The prosecution summons its first witness, the victim, Dahlia Whittaker!" Kez proclaimed, causing everyone present to start discussing this and calling Kez crazy in some instances.

"Wait, what? How?" Spinner asked. "That's not possible!"

"Oh I assure you… it's QUITE possible, your honor!" Kez grinned, hopping out from behind his desk now. "The defendant can summon spirits, and she'll be summoning that of her slain sister for this trial!" the helicopter declared triumphantly.

"Er… OK… bailiff… have uh… Ms. Whittaker brought in." Spinner ordered, slapping his gavel down. Before long, Iris was wheeling back into the courtroom, and for the most part… she looked the same… same paint… some body, but her eyes were different. They were… not the same as before. They were more alert, and sent a shiver down Dusty's spine as he recognized them. But strangely… they didn't look like the eyes of the Dahlia he'd dated… they were darker… more intense. "Is that… Ms. Whittaker?" Judge Spinner asked.

Dahlia turned to face the judge, and offered him a seductive smile. "Why yes, your honor… it is me… Dahlia Whittaker…" she said sweetly.

"Huh! OK… um… Mr. Kez… you may proceed!" Judge Spinner ordered.

"Thank you, your honor! Witness! I'd like you to testify as to what happened the night of your death!" Kez grinned, apparently confident in her testimony.

"It would be my pleasure, handsome." She responded to the helicopter, and glanced over at Dusty now, a smirk spreading across her features. "Well hello, Dusty-wusty. It's so good to see you again."

"Uh…" was all Dusty said at first, recoiling a bit at how… familiar she looked to him.

"You look even more dashing then when I first met you. Moving up in the world, are you?" she asked, winking at him. "Anyway… let's see… all I'd like to really say is that my sister, Iris… killed me." She smiled graciously at the court. "Yes… you see… I was actually going to kill my sister that night. I admit to that… and I attacked her at Canopy Dome. I had in my possession a staff and a small knife I'd stolen from the air attack base's kitchen, but unfortunately… Iris managed to wrench the knife from me and retaliated… and killed me in self-defense. I was killed… my sister was just protecting herself… but ultimately, I ended up being killed that knight…" Dahlia testified sadly, giving out a sigh for effect.

"So… you're freely confessing your sister killed you? But YOU were going to kill HER that night?" Spinner asked, eyes wide.

"Yes… to both counts. She was only defending herself but… I ended up dead…" Dahlia shrugged a bit here.

"Your cross-examination, Mr. Crophopper." Spinner looked at Dusty and told him to proceed slowly.

"Yes your honor." Dusty began rolling out towards his ex, feeling his engine start to race a bit the closer to her he got. "Ms. Whittaker…"

"Dahlia to you, Dusty-wusty." She smiled at him. "Just relax… I can't hurt you here."

"Yeah… right… anyway… Ms. Whittaker." Dusty ignored her suggestion. "You claim you had a staff and a knife. Did you attack your sister with just the knife?"

"I struck my sister with the staff first, then moved in to kill her with the knife." Dahlia explained.

"WHY the knife?" Dusty asked, narrowing his eyes. "You WERE aware of the sword in the staff… were you not?"

"Sword? What sword?" Dahlia asked, seeming surprised by this.

"The sword mentioned to you in the letter your mother sent you?" Dusty asked now.

"Oh! Yes… I suppose I forgot about it… the knife was easier to use at the time… my memory isn't completely perfect of that night after all." Dahlia replied.

"Actually Jerkhopper, we HAVE said knife!" Kez declared, producing the knife now for the court to look at. It contained red hydraulic fluid all over it, causing Dusty to gasp a bit.

"Is that… hydraulic fluid?" Spinner asked, narrowing his eyes to try and see the liquid dried on the knife's surface.

"Wait, what?" Kez asked, shifting his gaze to the knife now. "What do you mean? I don't see any fluid on this knife!"

"But it's right there!" Spinner insisted, pointing with his gavel.

"I see it too!" Dusty added, wondering what was wrong with Kez.

"Er… OK… I suppose there is!" Kez finally admitted, but he didn't sound too sure of himself. "I argue that because of the darkness, Iris accidentally used excessive force! This lantern at the summit… " The lantern was brought up on the screen in a photograph now, the words "Iris" clearly spelled in the same hydraulic fluid upon them. "Was not lit for several days, INCLUDING the night of the murder! In the darkness, she stabbed her sister to protect herself… but accidentally hit vital areas, leading to her sister's death! An unfortunate incident… but true all the same." Kez stated with a smirk as he looked at Dusty now.

"And… what about that lettering on the side of the lantern?" Spinner asked, noticing the word.

"What lettering?" Kez asked, surprise crossing his face again. "We didn't find any lettering on the lantern!"

"It's RIGHT there!" Spinner insisted.

A sudden thought passed through Dusty's mind now like a lightning bolt. Rolling towards Kez, he addressed the prosecutor. "Mr. Kez… tell me… what color am I?"

"What? What's the purpose of such a question?" Kez asked, snarling as he turned to face Dusty.

"It's relevant… what color am I?" he asked again innocently.

"Gray, black, and white!" Kez snapped. "Have any more useless questions for me?"

Dusty smiled now. "You can't see the color red… can you?" he asked now. "Your visor is red but… you CAN'T see that color, can you?"

"I-I…"

"Your blindness wasn't complete with that visor on… but you CAN'T see red! It makes sense now! You couldn't see the fluid on the knife OR on the lantern!" Dusty declared.

"OK fine! So what?" Kez snapped. "I can't see reds! What's the lantern say anyway?"

"It says… 'Iris' on it." Dusty responded. But this was a vital clue to him now! Kez couldn't see reds… he now thought he knew something very important to this case…

"Hmm… 'Iris' you say? Seems your client is awfully guilty in that case, Jerkhopper!" Kez stated victoriously now. "But let's hear more testimony! What do you think happened after you were killed, Ms. Whittaker?" Blade cringed in the audience at Nick's brazenness and mean-spirited attitude… but also felt incredibly sad for him… seeing him like this. Blind without his visor… unable to see red colors.

"Very well… I'm not certain, but I believe Iris dragged me across the bridge to the air attack base, and left me there to be discovered, doctoring the scene to cover up her crime." Dahlia testified, smiling at Dusty again.

"Wait… Iris dragged you alone, did she?" Dusty asked here.

"I think so. I was pretty much mostly dead by that point so… it's very hazy." Dahlia answered, still smiling at Dusty.

"Hm that's odd… see it's just… I don't think that's true!" Dusty stated now. "We KNOW the body was gotten back to the base but… HOW exactly? Ms. Whittaker… were you wearing robes that night similar to your sister's?"

"Of course I was, Dusty-wusty… I was disguising myself as my sister to move around more easily that night." Dahlia admitted, causing Dusty to smirk now.

"Huh! Let's recall Larry Fenders' testimony yesterday, shall we?" Dusty asked. "He testified he saw 'Iris' flying under Dusk Bridge to the side the base is on! But he DIDN'T hear her engine… in fact… she was wearing robes too and he heard helicopter blades! Here's what I think happened! Iris WASN'T alone at Canopy Dome! Someone ELSE was there… but we'll get to that in a moment. After Dahlia died, Iris crossed the bridge while her accomplice remained on the other side! The accomplice was a helicopter! Able to take off and land vertically from Canopy Dome with no problems! He attached Dahlia's body to a rope, and flew her across the gorge to the other side! Larry THOUGHT he saw 'Iris' flying, but it was really Dahlia's body! To prove it, Larry couldn't see the helicopter in the dark, and Dahlia's body hit the cliff side before Iris could catch her! This led to the injuries we found all over Dahlia's body! Furthermore, I argue Dahlia was killed by the sword inside the staff! Forensics concurs with this! It was still IN her body when she was flown over! The crystal fell OFF the staff into the snow when Iris retrieved her sister, and then proceeded to drag her across the snow to the base… which ALSO explains the police only finding ONE set of tracks from the bridge to the base! Am I right?" Dusty asked now, looking over at Dahlia confidently.

She stared at him, and blinked. "I don't… know anything about that." She admitted.

"Well SOMEONE had to have caught the body on the other side! It wasn't Larry, so it MUST have been Iris! She couldn't have swung the body over the gorge any other way! It doesn't explain the helicopter engine if it was JUST Iris! I argue it was this OTHER person with the victim and defendant that actually killed Dahlia Whittaker!"

"Wait, wait! What are you insinuating, Mr. Crophpper? That there was a helicopter present at Canopy Dome that night?" Judge Spinner asked.

"Yes I am! But I don't have proof of who it is just yet!" Dusty declared. "I present this letter to the court as evidence that Dahlia was going to kill her sister that night! While we don't know for certain who wrote it, it PROVES she had a very coherent plan to murder her sister!" Dahlia was growing bitter now, her pleasant demeanor melting as Dusty showed her the letter. "Do you deny it?"

"No." she stated acidly. "But hold on! Something was strange about that letter when I got it!" she exclaimed.

"Strange? What was strange?" Dusty asked.

"It looked as if someone had already opened it before me!" Dahlia declared.

"Someone… had opened it before you?" Dusty asked curiously, trying to figure this out… but it suddenly clicked in his brain, and he smiled now as he got the whole picture.

"But yes… I admit it! I talked to my mother in prison! She suggested I kill my sister and take over as leader of our clan! It was the first time I'd ever gotten ANYTHING in the way of attention from my mother! Even if she was using me, I didn't care! I finally had her approval… and my goody-two tires sister would finally be out of the picture! Nobody would know it was me, since I'd be disguised as my sister anyway! Her murder would go unsolved, but hey! The results are still the same ANWAY! Iris ended up killing ME, and she'll go to jail now! Either way, she goes down!" Dahlia proclaimed with a wicked grin now.

"But… Dahlia… don't you want to know who REALLY killed you?" Dusty asked softly now, causing Dahlia to gaze at him in surprise. "You KNOW you sister didn't kill you… someone else did." He urged gently. "Is this what you TRULY want… to never know who killed you?"

"Objection! Speculation!" Kez put in.

"Sustained… you're leading the witness, Mr. Crophopper." Spinner warned.

"Sorry, your honor. But let me ask you… did your sister REALLY stab you, Dahlia?"

Dahlia blinked, and seemed uncertain on this. "I… I don't know." she confessed here. "It's all a blur… I remember striking her with the staff… then throwing the staff aside and attacking her with the knife but then… pain… horrible pain… I screamed… and as I collapsed… I wrote my sister's name on the lantern in my leaking hydraulic fluid… and then… I don't… I don't remember!" she said now, acting confused. "But it HAD to have been my sister!"

"But are you sure?" Dusty asked. "Think…. Where was this pain?" Dusty asked.

"I… I…" she closed her eyes now, trying to remember it. "Behind me… I think…"

"You were attacked from behind… and your sister was in front of you… most likely unconscious or dazed from the strike you dealt her with the staff." Dusty stated.

"Objection! Speculation!" Kez put in again.

"Sustained… Ms. Whittaker… do you know WHO killed you?" Spinner asked her here.

She seemed to harden up again, glaring right at Dusty. "No… and you know something Dusty? I've always hated that voice of yours… so smarmy and dripping with your own self-assurance! I don't care WHO killed me… so long as my sister gets blamed for it, THAT'S what's important! I don't know WHO killed me, or how exactly! All I know is, I attacked her, and I ended up dead! And you won't be able to prove otherwise!" she smirked.

"Oh but you've failed, Dahlia." Dusty replied, smirking right back at her now, not letting her get the better of him. "You couldn't even do a good job of framing your sister for your own murder! We KNOW you were stabbed from behind! If you attacked your sister as you claimed… she'd be in FRONT of you! Someone ELSE killed you… and now… I'll prove it! I'll prove you were never the plane I thought you were! You were worse! But on top of that… you've lost! And you can take that to your grave! I loved you once… but you know what? You hurt others… you KILLED others… but in the end you failed!"

Yelling out with a shriek, Dahlia looked as if she was about to race at him, but the bailiffs moved to intervene, and Dahlia could see she had no options, being somewhat powerless in her sister's body. "Just leave… all of us. You don't belong here anymore… your testimony is over… you can't prove anything… and you don't even know who killed you! But I do!" Dusty proclaimed.

"I've always HATED you Dusty! ALWAYS! That disgustingly sweet demeanor… that unsure exterior that hides your confidence! It's not cute! It's sickening! SICKENING! You hear me? If I see you again, it'll be TOO SOON!" she roared, and Iris seemed to slump now as her eyes rolled into the back of her cockpit, and she gasped, the spirit of Dahlia fleeing her sister and leaving Dusty with a final, icy chill.

"Well! That was… interesting!" Spinner declared.

"It doesn't change anything! Unless you can prove this 'third vehicle' Jerkhopper, your client is still on the hook for planeslaughter! That DOES involve jail time, ya know!" Kez shot over to him.

"I can prove who did it… but I need to hear the defendant's testimony now… and since she needs time to recover… I'd like to request a recess, your honor to allow my witness to prepare herself! SHE knows what happened! She was there! She can prove it! We haven't heard HER side of things yet! So I'd like to question Iris next!" Dusty suggested.

"Very well… I'll grant a recess so you can prep your witness! Court will take a 30 minute recess!" the Escalade ordered, and banged his gavel down. Iris was slowly starting to come around now, and Dusty moved over to her.

"Iris… are you there?" he asked.

"Yes… yes I'm here…" she replied heavily.

"How do you feel?" Dusty asked.

"I feel… I feel… tired…"

"Can you testify in a half an hour?"

"I think so… yes. I'm sorry… I'm sorry you had to see that… my sister… I've always felt sorry for her. No one loved her… and even though she did bad things… I couldn't completely abandon her… she was my twin after all… we shared a bond…" Iris explained weakly.

"I know… but Iris… I need to question you next. You're covering for someone who was there that night… someone who protected you… saved your life. But you DON'T owe them that! They NEED to be brought to justice! I'm NOT having you go down for this! Who was it, Iris? Who protected you that night?" Dusty pressed.

"I… I don't want to give them up… I'm sorry…" she apologized, looking at him with sad eyes.

"Iris… since the bridge burned… I'm guessing it was set on fire by your protector to avoid a police investigation so they could doctor the scene… since the bridge burned they'd be trapped there… trapped until they finished cleaning up. Iris there was only one other vehicle at Canopy Dome when Ferika von Karswerth and I arrived the other day after the bridge was repaired… Iris it's NOT worth going to jail over! Do you hear me?" Dusty pleaded, looking at her with his eyes, though she didn't meet his gaze. "You have to help me here… DON'T throw your freedom away!"

"Dusty… I'm going to jail anyway… I tampered with evidence…" Iris pointed out.

"But you will go to jail for a far LESS period of time for that than carslaughter! Come on! If you don't… I'll prove it in your testimony!" Dusty stated.

"Very well… I'll let it play out…" Iris replied. "But I do owe them… I do…" she insisted.

"OK… I get it. Just rest up… I'm gonna show the court who's really behind this!" Dusty stated, and backed away now to exit the courtroom. "Kez!" He called over to the helicopter. "I want you to test the hydraulic fluid on that knife! I want to know whose it is!"

"Yeah… sure. I can do that." Kez replied, smirking here. "When it comes back as positive for Dahlia Whittaker's… it'll all but prove my case!" he declared.

"Yeah… we'll see…" Dusty replied. Dusty felt like he had a guess as to who the fluid belonged to… but knew if it was Dahlia's, it was all over. Heading towards Blade, he caught a solemn look on the chopper's features. "Hey… what do you think?"

"He's… I barely recognize him…" Blade said sadly, eyes falling here.

"I know… I know this is hard… it must feel like a knife in your gut… but… but it is him… Blade I think…" But Dusty couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"Dusty…" Blade looked up slowly now, clearly fighting back some tears. "Do you think… do you think Nick's sill in there?"

Dusty gave Blade an apologetic look, and then tried to offer a smile. "We'll see. I'm gonna do my best… I'm not gonna give up. Please Blade… don't give up on him either. He's going to need you when this is done…"

"But… he's so… so different…" Blade pointed out.

"I know… but it's not over yet." Dusty felt like this next segment of the trial might cause Blade immense pain but… if Dusty could spin it somehow… paint a different picture… maybe… just maybe… he could lessen the blow. "Let's get a hot cup of oil out in the lobby, OK?" he suggested here.

"Yeah… yeah OK…" Blade agreed slowly, and rolled out from his viewing area to join Dusty in the lobby.

**After the Recess**

Back in the courtroom, the trial was resumed after Iris had been given sufficient time to recover. "So, Mr. Kez… the defense has requested you find out whose hydraulic fluid that is on the knife! What have your tests told you?" Spinner asked.

"Yes, your honor. Unfortunately, tests showed they were NOT the victim's nor the defendant's! We don't know WHOSE fluid this is!" the helicopter explained.

"Huh… not the victim's or the defendant's! How strange!" Spinner exclaimed. "So then! Let's hear the defendant's testimony!" Iris was brought back to the stand, and sworn in. Kez began by asking her to testify about what happened at Canopy Dome that night.

"I was beginning my meditation…" Iris started. "When I was struck on the head from behind… disoriented… I staggered away from the blow… wondering what was going on. I couldn't see my attacker very well in the darkness… I turned to face them but I was dazed… but… I saw someone… someone beyond my attacker. I called out for help, and shortly after that… I blacked out. I lost consciousness. That's… what happened at Canopy Dome." Iris outlined.

"Hmm… so there WAS someone else there! Could this mystery vehicle be our real killer?" Spinner asked. "You may cross-examine, Mr. Crophopper."

Pursing his lips, Dusty rolled out, and glanced sideways at Iris. "This vehicle… describe them." Dusty requested.

"Well I… I don't even know if I saw a vehicle in all honesty." Iris confessed now. "You know… I'm not sure WHAT I saw… maybe I just THOUGHT I saw something… I don't know."

"But you SAID you saw a vehicle BEHIND your attacker. Canopy Dome doesn't have many trees at the summit. But you know… I wonder… HOW did you see a vehicle in the darkness? Mr. Kez established that the lantern at the summit was NOT lit for days so… how'd you see anyone at all?" Dusty asked.

"Maybe I didn't then…" Iris agreed with him.

"I think you did." Dusty replied simply. "You wanna know what I think you saw in that darkness? Your honor… might we turn the lights off in the courtroom for a brief moment?" Dusty requested now.

"Huh? But… why?" Spinner asked, confused.

"Because the killer is in this room! And I want to show you EXACTLY what Iris saw that night!" Dusty declared confidently.

"The killer… is in this room?" Spinner gasped. "Really?"

"Yes, your honor! Now the lights… only for a brief moment!" Dusty implored.

"Very well! Bailiff… the lights!" Spinner ordered, and as the lights went out in the courtroom, gasps went up as a particular red glow lit up the prosecutor's bench and the surrounding area like a night light. The glow from Kez's visor shone brightly even in the darkness, and Dusty smiled as he looked right at the display. Just as he thought!

"Mr. Kez?" Spinner asked as the lights came back on now. "Mr. Crophopper are you insinuating Prosecutor Kez killed Dahlia Whittaker?" he asked in disbelief.

"Wait! There's more to my testimony!" Iris cut in now, causing Dusty to look at her here. "When I woke up, I didn't see anyone there! The lantern was lit, and all the snow in the area had been shoveled away! I feel like someone altered the scene to protect me but… I don't know who." She said now.

"You didn't see anyone? You think someone was trying to protect you? I disagree… or at least… I partly disagree. Yes someone was trying to protect you… but if they shoveled all that snow… WHY leave your NAME written in the victim's hydraulic fluid ON the lantern? Seems like a CLEAR oversight, Iris, don't you think?" Dusty asked skeptically now. "Unless of course… your benefactor couldn't SEE the lettering! Ladies and gentlecars of the court… who do we KNOW can't see red?" Dusty asked, looking right at Kez now, who seemed to be growing nervous. "The name wasn't cleaned up because the benefactor couldn't SEE it! Nor could he see the hydraulic fluid in the snow, which is WHY he had to shovel so much of it just to clear the area! It was the ONLY way to be sure he'd gotten all of it! KEZ can't see red! KEZ was there that night! He shoveled the snow but missed the lantern because he couldn't SEE it!" Dusty declared now, challenging Kez to refute him.

"But… but Kez didn't show up till AFTER Dusk Bridge was fixed." Iris tried now, and it was clear she was trying to protect him.

"You don't know that… but I do! I saw him shortly after the bridge was repaired… and he was THERE! Already AT Canopy Dome. Furthermore, how'd he even KNOW about this case! He signed up for it almost immediately! Yet I argue he wasn't available for day one because he needed to stay behind to continue shoveling! And let's NOT forget Larry's testimony! He claimed he HEARD a helicopter in the sky that night! And you know what? Let's look at the letter written to Dahlia again! Remember how she said it seemed as if someone had opened it! I argue that person was Kez!" Dusty looked right at the helicopter now, who was grinding his teeth.

"Kez is a prosecutor… he'd have access to prisoners' mail for screening purposes! I argue he's been monitoring Morgan's mail ever since she went to prison! THAT'S why he was there that night! He found out about the plot through the letter, and went there to protect Iris, the only plane in that family who had a decent shred of cable in her body!" Dusty declared, not looking away from Kez now. "See he used to be an LAPD informant! He was spying on Dahlia… trying to get her to confess to murdering her half-sister! But Dahlia caught on to him… she murdered him! Or so she thought! But he DIDN'T die! Kez is the actor Nick Lopez from CHoPS!" Dusty proclaimed, and Kez was really grinding his teeth now, the court erupting in conversation.

"Oh yeah? What's my motive? Why would I leave that letter if I had read it, like you claimed? Why would I even LET Dahlia get her wheels on it?" Kez snapped. "I have no motive for that!"

"I don't know just yet… but you planned the whole thing! You went to protect Iris that night… and laid the blame on her when things went wrong! You had to use deadly force against Dahlia to protect Iris…"

"You know that's all fine and good, Jerkhopper, but let's see you prove any of it! All you have is a bunch of wild theories! You proved I COULD be at the crime scene, but not that I WAS! Go ahead and prove it! Let's see you PROVE I was there! Let's see you prove ANY of this!" Kez broke in, angrily challenging Dusty now. "You got a lot of talk for a crop duster turned firefighter! So what's it to be? What's your proof?"

"Well the only way I can prove it… is if Iris tells the truth on the stand!" Dusty said now, turning to fix her with his gaze. "Iris… I need you to testify about what you REALLY saw that night! I think you were struck on the head… perhaps blacked out… but I think you saw something BEFORE that!" he insisted. "And I need you to tell the truth! You don't… you go to jail for a much more serious crime than tampering with a crime scene! I think when you woke up… Kez was there… he explained what happened, and elected to stay behind while you would bring your sister's body back to the base to doctor it. He got the body across the gorge to you by flying her over on a rope, then set the bridge on fire to prevent police investigation into the scene while he stayed behind to shovel snow! Iris… you've been loyal to your protector up to this point… and I don't blame you. He saved your life after all… but just ONCE… I want you to be straight with me… please…" He fixed his blue eyes on her now, and finally, got her to lock gazes with him. "Please Iris… I can prove this and get you off the hook… but I need you to be straight with me… just… help me out. I am giving my ALL for you… please just this once… I ask you to do the same for me…"

Iris finally seemed to melt under his gaze, her guarded exterior dropping somewhat as she sighed heavily, unable to look away from Dusty's eyes. "All right…" she said softly. "I'll add one further thing…" Nodding at her, Dusty let her proceed, his eyes saying "thank you." "I… I DID see the red light we saw when you turned off the lights in the courtroom. I did… that light charged at my attacker after I'd been struck. I then heard Dahlia scream… and I was splattered with hydraulic fluid. But Dahlia turned to confront her attacker! I heard a male scream, and the red light vanished… and then I blacked out… that's ALL I remember until I woke up… and I'm not testifying about what happened after I woke up." She finished, closing her eyes here.

"Thank you, Iris, You mentioned Dahlia screamed… and you were splattered… I think it's safe to assume Dahlia's attacker stabbed her with the sword inside the staff. Lab results proved that was the REAL murder weapon… and Dahlia testified she had tossed it aside after striking Iris with it. Iris just testified she heard a male scream after Dahlia turned to retaliate… since the sword was in her body… she MUST have used the knife! She must have hit her attacker and wounded him! We know the fluid on the knife wasn't the victim's, and it wasn't the defendant's… so it HAD to have been the killer's!" Dusty proclaimed now, facing the court.

"Oh yeah? So why didn't I wipe the knife down if I was the killer? Or plant someone else's fluid on it, Jerkhopper? If I'm the killer as you claim… where's my wound? Where's the fluid on my body? If I was trapped there like you said, I NEVER would've been able to wash it off with just snow! So how come I show NO visible signs of being attacked? Huh? HUH? I wouldn't have had time to buff out or fix a stab wound this quickly! You see a mark on my body anywhere? Huh?" Nick turned in a circle now for the court to see, showing off his entire frame and even raising his rear to show off his undercarriage. As it was, not a scratch could be found on him. He was as clean as a newly minted dime, and Dusty was starting to doubt it all now. No! He was SO close! He had to prove this somehow.

"Um… well you could've washed the fluid off with the snow…"

"Objection! Speculation!" Kez snapped. "Could've? Could've? Did I?"

"Sustained… solid proof, Mr. Crophopper." Judge Spinner stated firmly.

"Well uh… maybe… maybe you DID buff it out somehow! Um… you could've…"

"Objection! Overnight? Give me a break! The police can testify that I was at Piston Peak ALL day! Check with the local clinics! You'll find I NEVER set my skids in a single clinic within a flyable radius of Piston Peak! I wasn't THERE, Jerkhopper!"

"Sustained." Judge Spinner agreed. "I need solid proof! Not speculation, Crophopper! DO you have proof? He's showed us his body! There's not a mark on it! No scratched paint, no deep slash mark from a knife… where is your proof?"

"Well…"

"Admit it! You got nothing! Your wild story was just that! A wild story! Someone ELSE was there that night! It wasn't me! Iris saw red lights! So what? It wasn't me! You can't prove it, can you? But then again, don't answer that! I KNOW you can't! You'll NEVER be half the aircraft Blade is! Just admit it! You are a FAILURE! And I've proved it! Isn't that right… Jerkhopper?" Dusty frantically shifted his gaze to Blade now, even as he realized he was backed into a corner. Blade only gazed sadly at Dusty… there was so much in that gaze… regret… pain… disbelief. Blade was crushed… both by Dusty's loss… and by the mere suggestion that his former best friend was a murderer… but perhaps most of all by how much Nick had changed.

No… NO! He couldn't just fail like this! He couldn't let Blade down! THINK! What was he missing? Where was Kez hiding his wound? What had Iris said that was important? THINK! It was just like the Blackthorn case! It HAD to be there! But… wait… as Kez gazed at him with that sickening red glow emanating from his visor, Dusty knew the answer. Suddenly, his propeller began to spin as it dawned on him, and shock turned to confidence. Firm, unshakeable resolve that Kez immediately picked up on as the helicopter gasped at what he saw.

"IT'S BEHIND HIS VISOR!" Dusty shouted now. "Iris testified that the red light went out after the male screamed! It's because Dahlia struck his visor and knocked it off… slashing his face! Remove the visor! You'll see a slash across his face! Maybe not very big… but it'll be there!" he roared.

Kez's mouth was open, his breaths were coming in short bursts, and it appeared as if he couldn't respond, like he was weak on his skids, and he wilted away from Dusty like a flower dying in the hot summer heat. For a moment, the courtroom was silent; you could hear a pin drop with minimal effort. Dusty looked around. Blade sat in stony silence, looking intensely at Kez. Spray was giving him a "way to go!" look, nodding slightly from the crowd. Blackthorn had the widest of smiles on his face, and Ferika seemed in disbelief at what Dusty had just said.

"Mr. Kez…" Judge Spinner was the first to break the silence. "Is this true?"

Kez looked from the judge to Dusty, then down to the floor. "It's true…" he said softly. "I'm done fighting… you know something Jer… no… Crophopper?" Kez asked, looking back up at him now. "I thought I hated you… when I woke up… I learned about you… how you'd inadvertently covered up my own murder… and then continued living your happy-go-lucky existence… gallivanting about as if nothing had happened. It sickened me… and then… and then you hurt Blade… your arrogance and stupidity nearly got him killed at Piston Peak… I couldn't… I couldn't forgive you for any of it… but you know what? I knew…. I knew deep down… that it was really myself I couldn't forgive…" Nick's voice was wavering here, and he sniffed as he lowered his gaze. "When I woke up and realized how much time had passed… I was so angry… so upset… so alone… everyone I knew and loved thought I was dead… because of my own stupidity… I abandoned my friends… my family… my partner… I couldn't forgive myself… and just now… just now I saw Blade within you… you HAVE lived up to his ideals… and what have I done? I'm a liar… I threw my past away and ran from it… tried to start a new life to take my revenge… but… in the end… I'm just… a dirty murderer…" Red liquid was falling from behind Nick's visor now, causing Dusty to gape.

"No! No!" he said, rolling towards the helicopter. "No! Nick… you are a HERO! You SAVED Iris!"

"Crophopper… no. No I'm not. If was a TRUE hero… I would've destroyed that letter after reading it! I NEVER would've passed it on to Dahlia!" Nick shot his gaze up to Dusty now, causing Dusty to halt. "But I just… I wanted to save someone… SO badly… I wanted… just ONCE… to show that I too… was a hero… so I willingly put Iris in danger… KNOWING what could happen! I manufactured that, Crophopper! I'm not a hero… heroes don't put innocent lives at risk just so they can save the day! NONE of this would've happened had I simply destroyed that letter!" Nick finally broke down, sinking on his skids, sobbing. The red fluid continued spilling from behind his visor, soaking his front as it began to drip onto the floor. "I didn't MEAN to kill Dahlia! I just wanted to stop her! But… but when I saw the face of the plane who'd ruined my life… took everything from me… I lost control… I… I couldn't help myself! It was like I was in a dream! A dream I couldn't control! I… I took that sword… and I buried it into her! I lost control! And when I realized what I'd done… I realized… I was… no better than the person who'd taken everything from me… I was just… a selfish helicopter… willing to put others at risk so I could pretend to play hero. I just wanted to shine… but no… I'm no hero Crophopper… she never would've been in danger had it not been for me…" Nick stated sadly, causing tears to spring into Dusty's own eyes now.

"Nick!" Dusty turned as Blade rolled forward now, a look of uncertainty on his face. "Nick… why didn't you just… tell me?" Blade asked sadly, heading to his partner's side. "Why?"

Nick couldn't bring himself to look at Blade, and he removed his visor, letting it clatter to the floor, the wound on his face visible now as his sightless eyes continued to weep, mixing with the fluid leaking from his injury. "I couldn't forgive myself… for leaving you alone all those years… I projected the anger and hatred I felt at myself onto Crophopper… I needed someone to blame… but look at me now… I'm just a… just… a…"

"You're my partner." Blade finished the sentence now. "You'll always be my partner, Nick. You should've just told me…"

"What?" Nick asked, looking in the direction of Blade's voice, though it was clear he couldn't see him. His eyes blinked and finally managed to locate Blade, though they stayed in place, his blindness preventing him from studying Blade with any real detail. He just stared… emptily at him.

"You're my partner… and my best friend." Blade enunciated, nuzzling Nick a bit here. "And you know what? I'm gonna stick by you. I see that the old you is still in there! I had given up hope on that… but you're still there, Nick. You never left…"

Dusty looked down at the visor now, and back at Nick. "I'll defend you, Nick. I'll defend you in your trial."

"Why?" Nick asked, turning his wide eyes over to Dusty now as he blinked away some tears. Dusty picked up the helicopter's visor, and gently placed it back over Nick's eyes. "Because… I would be betraying volo pro veritas if I didn't. Everyone deserves a chance to see again." Dusty smiled at him here, and nodded in Blade's direction. "I think you should see your partner." He encouraged.

Nick did so, swiveling to place his eyes upon Blade for the first time since he'd woken up. "Blade…" he said softly, seeing his friend for first time in years. "It's you…"

"Yeah…" Blade offered him a small smile here. "I never left…"

"I don't deserve your defense…" Nick said as he turned to Dusty here, consternation on his face.

"Everyone deserves a second chance." Dusty smiled warmly at him here. "You most of all. Everyone deserves a chance to get their life back. You may not be a hero… but someday… you may get that chance… and I'm going to fight to ensure you get that opportunity."

"I don't know what to say…" Nick replied in a trembling voice. For the first time since this trial started… heck since the first time Dusty had seen Nick, a smile was finally on his face. It was an uneasy, nervous smile, as if he wasn't used to this, but Dusty patted him with his wing.

"It's OK… just forgive yourself. That's what I want to see out of you next. Forgive yourself… and I'll fight for you. Everything will be OK, Nick." Nick's smile grew a bit here, and he gave Dusty a single, shaky nod.

As Dusty noticed Iris standing in the corner of his eyes, Dusty turned to face her now. She was smiling warmly at him, and blinked a few tears out of her own eyes. "Dusty… you never changed." She told him softly. "But that… is why I loved you…"

"What do you mean?" Dusty asked now.

"I owe you many apologies… and the truth. You and my sister… you only met really twice…" Iris stated, a smile crossing her features.

"What? I don't… understand." Dusty said, wrinkling his face a bit here.

"You met her the day you met her and she gave you that vial of poison to wear… and you met her again just now in court. That plane you dated for six months… that… wasn't my sister." Iris began, still smiling.

Recognition flooded Dusty's features now, and he gazed at Iris as if seeing a long lost friend for the first time. "It was…"

"When my sister gave you that vial, she needed to get it back. She was planning on killing you to do so… but I didn't want her to kill another person! I wanted her to stop… to just… stop her wicked ways. So I begged her to spare you. I begged her to give me a chance… I could get that vial from you. So I took my sister's place… painted myself to look like her… and tried to get that vial from you. But… I… something happened."

"What?" Dusty asked.

"I fell in love… I fell in love with the sweetest, most genuine plane I'd ever met. And I couldn't do it… I couldn't take what you loved so much." Dusty was starting to smile now, the light retuning to his eyes. "You see… my sister was losing patience… the police were closing in… and you were showing that pendant off to too many others. She was afraid someone would catch on. She was going to kill you… she had poisoned your cold medicine… so I saved you in the only way I knew how. I took you out to that waterfall… managed to get you to give me the pendant… waited for you to fall asleep… and took the cold medicine as well. I distracted you enough that day that you didn't take that medicine… and I left you… I said goodbye to the only plane I ever loved. My sister got her evidence, promised to leave you alone, and vanished. But because of that… because of how I'd lied to you… I couldn't face you again. I figured you'd never forgive me if you knew the truth… but I owe you that much… and I'm keeping my promise to Mr. Blackthorn to tell you everything. I only hope… you understand why I did it."

Dusty didn't say anything at first, and he looked as if he were pondering this. But he finally allowed another smile to cross his face here. "Iris… you're the plane I always thought you were… the plane I thought Dahlia was. Thank you for telling me the truth."

"Dusty…" Iris replied, relaxing as she could see he wasn't upset. "I just wish I could be with you right now… but I have to face the consequences of my actions. I have to serve my time."

"It won't be for long." Dusty smiled at her. "And when you get out… who knows? I'd be willing to have another go at Dusty and Iris."

"Thank you, Dusty." Iris rolled up to him now, and before he could protest, kissed him lightly upon his lips, causing his propeller to spin a little bit here. Chuckling at how cute he looked, Iris gazed at him as Blade tapped Dusty's wing.

"Hey champ… don't mean to interrupt… but the judge just cleared your client of her murder charge."

"Yeah… good…" Dusty said lightly, still gazing at Iris as he smiled warmly at her. "Hey! Why don't we get some bail posted for Nick, and take him out to dinner! Would you like that, Nick?"

"I… I think I would, yes." Nick responded, smiling in Dusty's direction here.

"Old friends need to catch up, after all." Dusty looked between Blade and Nick. "And… I'd like to take you to dinner too… Iris…" Dusty turned to look at her again.

"It's a date." Iris replied, still smiling.

"All right, all right! Let's stop standing around and get outta here!" Blackthorn suggested as he drove up with Ferika and Spray now. The Maserati gave a wink to Dusty here, and a smirk. "Volo pro veritas, Dusty."

"Volo pro veritas, Simon." Dusty responded heartily with a wide smile.

"All right! Let's go! I'll give us an escort through the streets!" Spray exclaimed, activating his lights and eliciting some chuckles from the gathered bunch of vehicles. "VOLO PRO VERITAS!" the plane declared, and the cry was taken up by everyone else in the group (some louder than others of course) but taken up it was. VOLO PRO VERITAS!


	34. Chapter 34: Epilogue

**Author's Note:** And just a brief little resolutions chapter to wrap it all up! This has been a true honor to write, I'm glad you all enjoyed it, and thanks again for reading and reviewing! :D

**Back to the Story**

Spring was busting out all over Propwash Junction, with the flowers blooming in multi-colored brilliance and the buds on the trees opening up to display their contents. Nick Lopez's trial had gone well, and Dusty had managed to secure a lighter prison sentence for the helicopter on the grounds of his previous record as an LAPD informant, and killing in the heat of the moment. He still of course had to serve time for his willingly allowing a dangerous situation to occur in the first place, but Dusty felt that overall, he'd done well in defending the helicopter.

Nick had been invited to Propwash for his final day before entering prison to spend time with his friend Blade and the denizens of the town. Dusty had invited Spray and Blackthorn, as well as von Karswerth to the get together for Nick's last day of freedom. Larry Fenders was of course present so the trio could be reunited, and it was "gangs" new and old coming together for this sendoff.

They were just wrapping up a group lunch when Blade approached Dusty now. "Hey champ, how ya doin?" he asked.

"Pretty good, Blade." Dusty responded with a smile. "How is it, being able to catch up with your former partner and co-star?" the firefighter posed his own question here.

"Heh… I have you to thank for that… and in all seriousness Dusty… thanks… for everything you did… not just for Nick… but for me as well. I… well I owe ya a lot." Blade answered.

"Well… I owe YOU for training me… so we're even." Dusty replied with a smile. "I'm just glad I could bring the truth out and help him heal. I'm sure you'll be able to spend more time together after he serves his sentence."

"No doubt! Good move, partner." Blade stated, giving Dusty a wink here.

Dusty nodded his front at Blade before shifting his attention to Blackthorn. "Thanks for coming out, Simon."

"Anytime, Crophopper. I'll make it a point to visit from now on. No more staying away." The Maserati replied.

"Great! Hey Ferika… what are you going to do now?" Dusty asked.

"Hmph… continue to work on my technique… so that one day… I WILL beat you!" she stated with confidence and a smirk.

"Yeah heheh… I'm sure you will. I might be retiring from lawyering, at least for awhile." Dusty chuckled. "But you never know… we may cross paths again in the courtroom."

"I'm counting on it." Von Karswerth replied, still smirking.

"But you still gotta model for me!" Larry insisted, causing the Maybach to glare daggers at him.

"You want your parts to be recycled into my new headlights?" she snapped.

"Uhhh… no." he croaked, flinching.

Dusty chuckled at this, and nodded in Blackthorn's direction for the Maserati to follow him, also catching Skipper's attention as well. The two moved to follow after, outside into the warmer atmosphere.

"What's up, Dusty?" Skipper asked.

"Remember when I told you I would use volo pro veritas to help out my friend?" Dusty asked Skipper, glancing over at him here.

"Yeah… of course."

"Well I went far beyond that in my time as a defense attorney… far beyond that." This caused Skipper to smile, and Dusty glanced in Blackthorn's direction.

"Simon… what do you think of flying for truth?" Dusty continued.

Blackthorn seemed to consider this a moment, then offered a smile of his own. "Heh… truth to me is something I love. Finding it in trials is what I fight for now. It's not something I'm ever going to shy away from."

"Good… I'm glad to hear that. I just can't really express how good it is to finally have you back." Dusty admitted.

"Well… it took awhile but yes… I'm back. Though I never realized that classroom 'trial' had so much impact on you." Blackthorn stated. "To me I was just doing what I thought was right."

"Well… it left an indelible impression on me… that's for sure. You basically were the reason I became what I was. Why I believed in helping others without needing a reason to." Dusty responded, nodding once.

"I… never realized." Blackthorn reiterated, but the smile didn't leave his face.

"Thanks… I feel now it's come full circle." Dusty responded.

"What are you guys talking about?" This came from Spray, who had wandered outside to find them.

"Oh just confirming a few things." Dusty stated, turning to face the FBI plane. "You know Spray… something you said to me earlier kind of struck me as odd. You said 'at least this world still has hope', implying that… what? There's another world out there?" Dusty asked curiously, raising a brow. "I mean it wasn't exactly a normal thing to say."

A knowing look flashed in Spray's eyes now as he remembered that very moment. "I uh… heh… maybe." Spray responded, cracking the hints of a smile. "I guess so." He stated, shrugging his ailerons innocently.

Dusty narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, wondering what Spray was alluding to, but the FBI plane merely shook his front and grinned. "Anyway, enjoy your moment. Was just curious what you were up to is all." Tapping Dusty's wing with his own, Spray winked and turned to head back inside. Dusty watched him go, still musing over this.

"Hey! Crophopper." Dusty turned to face Blackthorn here. "Volo pro veritas." The Maserati was smiling broadly, causing Dusty to return it just as widely.

"Volo pro veritas." He replied.

"Volo pro veritas!" Skipper exclaimed. "Now let's get back in there! I think dessert's being offered!" the old Corsair declared eagerly.

Nodding, Dusty and Blackthorn moved to follow suit, Dusty confident that whatever new adventures might come his way, he could face them with the return of his best friend to the fold.


End file.
